Summer Girl
by JustGrace13
Summary: AU - When Keigo ruins the group's plans for their annual summer beach trip, reserved, top student Rukia Kuchiki steps in. She's offering to pay for gas, food expenses, and housing but, while the rest of the group is ecstatic, Ichigo can't help but wonder what exactly her motives are. IchigoxRukia, UryuuxOrihime, plus some others! COMPLETE!
1. Of Disappointment and Hope

Hello there! This will be my first IchiRuki multichaptered fic; I'm so excited! I imagine it will be about 20-25 chapters long and over half is already written so you don't have to worry about Summer Girl being discontinued before it's finished. Updates will be posted on a weekly basis (probably every Friday/Saturday.)

I hope you enjoy this first chapter and please review!

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_Summer girls come and summer girls go_  
_ Some are worthwhile and some are so-so_  
_ Summertime girls got it going on_  
_ Shake and wiggle to a hip hop song  
_  
_ Summertime girls are the kind I like_

**Summer Girls - LFO**

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**Chapter 1:** **Disappointment and Hope **

**-Ichigo-**

It was a Monday morning, before the first class of the day, when Keigo broke the news.

"So… The trip is canceled?" Orihime's delicate eyebrows furrowed in a heartbroken expression. Tatsuki rolled her eyes and hit the brunette boy over the head.

"You idiot! Everyone was looking forward to this! How could you go and ruin-" Keigo's wails overpowered her insults.

"But guuuys! It wasn't even my fault! The test was rigged!"

Uryuu sighed and adjusted his glasses in irritation.

"The end-of-year exams were not "rigged," Keigo. Perhaps if you had accepted my offer to tutor you, this would not have happened." Keigo's eyes filled with tears as he met his friend's icy stare.

Orihime pulled the sobbing boy into a hug and assured him that things would be okay and that no one really blamed him.

Frustrated, Ichigo finally interrupted.

"Look, Keigo screwed up and we can't go to the beach anymore and it sucks. But there's nothing we can do about it. Unless someone else has a rich relative with a beach house they can call on, we'll just have to stay here."

Chad nodded silently in agreement, disappointment in his eyes, and Tatsuki exhaled loudly in annoyance.

"Fine."

Orihime chimed in, smiling brightly. "We can have just as much fun here! We can go to the park or have a cook-out or go to the pool!" She counted her list off on her fingers, struggling to think of a fourth activity.

"Those are good ideas, Orihime." Tatsuki smiled earnestly at her friend's suggestions before glaring again at Keigo. "Besides, it's not like this was _our annual summer trip_ that we go on _every single year_." Tatsuki emphasized her irritation again, running a hand through her short hair.

Keigo continued his sniffling, reaching towards Orihime for another embrace. The redhead artfully avoided the duty of consoling the boy by taking her seat in front of Uryuu and pointing out that their teacher had arrived.

The sobbing boy's cries quieted until Ichigo could only make out short phrases like "can't believe I'm grounded forever" and "so not fair! What about the hotties" and "everyone hates me now."

Ichigo smirked slightly. _What makes him think we didn't hate him before?_

**-Rukia-**

That obnoxious cry-baby really was getting annoying. She considered turning to glare at him but decided he would be too wrapped up in himself to notice.

So what if he couldn't go on his stupid summer vacation? He shouldn't have flunked the final exams. _Some people really had no discipline…_

Then, the grumpy carrot-head said something that caught her attention.

"Look, Keigo screwed up and we can't go to the beach anymore and it sucks. But there's nothing we can do about it. Unless someone else has a rich relative with a beach house they can call on, we'll just have to stay here."

She knew the beach they were talking about. Emerald Beach was about a 5-6 hour drive from Karakura and well-known for having a number of more secluded swimming and residential areas and, a special favorite of Rukia's, the Churaumi Aquarium.

While the teacher read through a list of books and other school items that students needed to return before graduating, Rukia toyed with the thought of asking her brother to vacation at their old cabin on the beach instead of France like they had planned.

_If you can call meeting all of Byakuya's boring business friends a vacation…_

Rukia sighed. After graduating second in her class, but not first, as her brother often reminded her, she was expected to attend Tokyo University in the fall and begin taking on responsibilities at Kuchiki Inc. By the time she finished school, she'd be next-in-line to head one of the biggest business corporations in the world.

She'd be important, powerful, and independent, just as she had always wanted.

_Still… it might be nice to take a short break and try to be normal… _Rukia chewed on the eraser of her pencil as she looked over her sketch. Chappy was wearing the newest designer swimsuit and looked eager to join her other bunny friends in the water.

Sighing in resignation, Rukia made up her mind to talk to this Ichigo.

After all, these people would be her clients in the future. She'd have to learn how to deal with them at some point, maybe even make friends.

Assuring herself that this was her true motivation, she scribbled a note on a clean page of her sketchbook. Glancing behind herself quickly to take aim, she waited a moment for her teacher to look away and then tossed the note so that it hit her target square on top of his head, apparently waking him from an intense nap.

Rukia turned back around quickly to hide her snicker and began preparing an explanation for when she told her brother of her decision.

**-Ichigo- **

_What the hell?_

Ichigo looked around menacingly, trying to find the brave soul that had dared wake him. His foot stepped on something, making a crunching noise, and he reached down to retrieve the piece of paper.

_This had better be damn important. _He opened the note up and smoothed it out on his desk.

_I think I can help with your "problem." Meet me on the roof during lunch._

_-R_

Ichigo frowned at the note. _What problem?_

He scanned the room, trying to find someone whose name began with the letter "R."

_Ryo? _Ichigo knew she was a distant friend of Tatsuki and Orihime.

_Maybe she wanted a date?_ Ichigo cringed slightly. He knew her life in high school had basically revolved around studying and competing on the track team but she wasn't exactly unattractive.

Ichigo figured, since school would be over next week, she was finally deciding to have a social life. She sat in front of Orihime, first row, in the middle of the room. He studied her for a minute and decided he wasn't interested. He'd be sure to let her down gently though, otherwise Tatsuki would probably beat him into the ground, claiming that he was an insensitive jerk, as she did quite often.

Satisfied that he had found the answer, he crossed his arms over his desk and rested his head on his forearms.

_45 minutes 'til lunch? Just enough time to finish that nap…_

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Future chapters will generally be a bit longer but, as this was just an introduction, I didn't want to overwhelm anyone ;) What do you think of the cast so far? Any specific character you want me to introduce later in the story?

Let me know in a review!


	2. The Proposal

Yay for the second chapter! I really appreciate the warm response Summer Girl has already gotten; thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far!

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_She's the girl that no one ever knows  
__And I say hi, but she's too shy to say hello._  
_ She's just waiting for that one to take her hand_  
_ And shake her up.  
_  
_ I bet I could._

**Say You Like Me - We the Kings**

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**Chapter 2: The Proposal **

**-Rukia-**

Her stomach fluttered and she checked her watch again. He was 5 minutes late.

_What kind of an idiot doesn't know how to tell time? Maybe he decided not to come… _

Rukia took a few calming breaths and turned to lean on the railing lining the roof, looking out over the cityscape. Even if he didn't show, it wasn't the end of the world. She had plenty of other friends she could go on vacation with.

_This was a stupid idea…_

She should've known he wouldn't come.

"What kind of freak offers her house to random strangers so she can go on a vacation?" She let her chin rest in her hand, happy, at least, that she had not yet told Byakuya of her foolish fantasy.

"Such a loser…"

"Who's a loser?" A deep male voice asked from the doorway. Rukia turned quickly, a bright blush forming on her face as she watched the tall boy close the door behind him.

He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the door, studying her, confusion mixed with his usual egotistical scowl.

_He must think he's _so_ bad ass. What a jerk._

**-Ichigo-**

So it wasn't Ryo. It was that Riku-girl. Ichigo smirked; he had never expected that the mute genius herself would have the guts to ask him out.

According to Uryuu, she was the only person who had ever challenged him for his spot at the top of the class. According to Orihime, she had almost taken it, too, but Uryuu had always avoided that conversation.

He sighed. The girl was pretty enough with those bright eyes and slim figure but there was no way anything would ever happen.

"Look, I don't really think this is going to work out." Ichigo spoke slowly, trying to avoid the heartbroken tears that would inevitably start any second.

The girl's eyes narrowed, her left eyebrow rising slightly in skepticism. "You know what I wanted to discuss?"

_She's not going to cry? _

Ichigo smirked. Maybe this wouldn't go as terribly as he had expected.

"I'm sure you're nice and all but I'm really not looking for relationship right now… Or like, ever." He added that last part as an afterthought, ensuring that she wouldn't call him again in a week to see if he had changed his mind.

Riku-whatever's face froze for a moment, a cold mask completely hiding her thoughts.

_And here come the tears…_

**-Rukia-**

_What. The. Hell._

"There must be a misunderstanding here." Rukia's tone turned sharp and she took a second to compose herself.

"You think I wanted to _go out_… with _you_!"

The carrot-top looked surprised, losing his expression of perfected arrogance. He stammered, "Wh-why else would you want me to meet you on the roof?"

For a moment, their eyes locked and they looked at each other in exasperation.

_How… on earth… How could he think for a second-_

"How on earth could you think that, for a second, I'd even consider going out with you!" Rukia waved her hands for emphasis. "I don't even _know_ you!"

Ichigo looked flustered. "Well then, why did you want to talk to me?"

Rukia's proposition caught in her throat. This didn't seem like such a good idea anymore.

**-Ichigo-**

The short girl's demeanor had changed completely. When she spoke, it was quiet and unsure.

"I overheard you… and your friends… You need somewhere to stay on Emerald Beach?"

_This girl had just reached crazy-psycho creepy…_

"Maybe. Why?" He crossed his arms again, unsure where this conversation would lead.

"Well… I have a cabin there. We… I mean, your friends and you, could come with me when summer starts." Those huge purple eyes looked up at him again. "There's plenty of room and you wouldn't have to worry about gas money or food or anything."

Ichigo's heart leapt in his chest; the summer trip wouldn't be ruined after all!

But, wait… _what?_

"Why are you doing this?" A suspicious look crossed his face.

She carefully avoided his stare as she spoke. "It's… personal. I'd rather not discuss it." Her eyes became cold, as if it were a business deal. "I still hope you'll consider my offer."

Ichigo set his jaw, carefully considering the situation. She did seem sincere.

_Still… This is crazy. There's no way the guys'll go for it and really, how do I know this girl isn't a total wackjob? She might kill us the first night. _

"I'll have to think about it. I need to ask everyone before I agree to anything."

The girl nodded, her face remaining completely expressionless and professional.

-**Rukia-**

"I'll have to think about it. I need to ask everyone before I agree to anything."

_Of course. He can't be expected to make such huge decision on the spot. This is not a refusal, just an extension._

Rukia forced a smile. "Can I expect an answer tomorrow? There are some… maintenance issues that will need to be resolved before the cabin is suitable."

_Issues like actually being allowed to use the cabin…_

Ichigo nodded. "Yeah, that should be enough time…" He trailed off to think before starting again. "There's no catch, right?"

"None. Just an invitation to hang out at the beach for a week." Rukia smiled at the end, trying her best to seem genuine but not over-enthusiastic.

"And you're sure you can fit six people in this place?"

_He almost sounds like I'm convincing him…_

Rukia blinked in surprise but recovered quickly. "Of course! It's got plenty of rooms. It's right on the beach and everything."

The lanky boy gave a barely-there smile. "Well, all right, then. I'll let you know after I talk to everyone." Turning to head back down the stairs that connected every level of the school, Ichigo flashed his most charming grin. "See ya 'round, midget."

Rukia's mouth fell open in shock and annoyance at the new nickname, pausing just enough to let Ichigo escape, closing the door behind him and leaving her alone on the roof.

She fumed, cursing under breath. It was only after the bell rang to announce the end of lunch that Rukia placed a hand on her face and realized she was blushing.

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Aw :) So, who do you think will be the first to develop feelings for the other? Ichigo or Rukia? I'd love to hear your thoughts!


	3. Persuasion

So I realized that Chapter 2 was also pretty short and I decided I'd go ahead and post this one a little early. :) Chapter 4 will still be up this weekend; no worries. Reviews are the world to authors! Please make my day ;)

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_Some people live in a house on the hill_  
_ And wish they were some place else._  
_ There's nobody there_  
_ When the evening is still.  
_  
_Secrets with no one to tell_

**Home - Vanessa Carlton**_  
_

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**Chapter 3: Persuasion**

**-Ichigo- **

"So this chick is really going to invite a bunch of strangers into her home to live with her?" Tatsuki's voice was laced with sarcasm. "I don't think so, Ichigo. That sounds a little too freaky for me."

The group was currently spread around Orihime's apartment, lounging on the couch and various chairs, discussing Rukia's offer.

_Rukia… That's a hell of a lot better than Riku. _

Uryuu had been the one to correct him during his explanation. They were currently deciding whether or not to accept the invitation.

"It seems strange to me as well. Are you sure she doesn't have some ulterior motive?" Uryuu asked.

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Look, I already told you guys everything she told me. I didn't want to pry into her personal life."

Tatsuki sighed. "You realize we'll be living with this girl. Unless she stays in her room the entire time, we will have to get to know each other."

A subtle smirk crossed Chad's face and Orihime agreed with her friend. "I'm sure she's nice, Ichigo, but we should talk to her more. She's probably just lonely but we can't-"

Uryuu interrupted. "She chooses to be reserved. It's not our fault that she spends all her time studying in her mansion. I don't think we should have to be her friends now just because she's decided to try to buy us all off."

"I don't think she knows any other way to make friends." Chad's deep voice spoke up. "We should give her a chance at least."

Ichigo grinned. He knew he could count on Chad's support.

"So, it's settled then. I'll ask her to eat with us tomorrow and you guys can talk to her."

Uryuu scoffed and looked about to argue when Orihime exclaimed, smiling brightly, "That's a great plan, Ichigo!"

Her excitement seemed infectious. Uryuu remained quiet, not wanting to upset his friend.

"I guess I am glad we can still go." Tatsuki shrugged, unable to hide a small smile of her own before adopting a serious expression.

"This had better work, Ichigo. Otherwise, I'll tell Keigo you were planning to go without him." An evil smirk crossed her face and the group laughed.

Ichigo made a joke about how Keigo would whine himself to death and the conversation moved on to a discussion about their new summer plans.

**-Rukia-**

"Is… that acceptable, Brother?" Rukia asked hesitantly. She had finished explaining her request and now waited nervously, picking absently at the plate in front of her.

When Byakuya first spoke, it was to call for another glass of wine. The servant moved carefully, eager not to upset his master in his current state.

"Would you like anything, Miss Rukia?" Hanataro asked quietly when he was finished pouring.

Rukia gave the man a small smile and shook her head to say, "No, thank you."

Hanataro nodded and backed away from the long table, returning her smile with a warmer, encouraging smile of his own.

This made Rukia feel slightly better. She tried to meet her brother's eyes but he still refused to answer. He seemed thoughtful and ate quietly for a few more minutes before setting down his utensils and speaking.

"If you think that this excursion will be beneficial to you in your future profession, I will allow it. I understand that this vacation is for you to enjoy yourself but I still expect exemplary behavior from you and your acquaintances."

Rukia swore her heart skipped a beat.

"Is that understood?" His tone was sharp but Rukia nodded, trying to suppress her grin.

"I understand. You have nothing to worry about."

That seemed to be sufficient answer and they fell into silence once again.

**-Ichigo-**

"I cannot comprehend why you like this girl so much." Uryuu stated, partly to himself, partly to the boy in the passenger seat.

Ichigo groaned. _Is he really going to start this again?_

It had started to rain while they were at Orihime's apartment so Uryuu had offered Ichigo a ride home. _I'm starting to think I should've just stuck it out in the rain…_

"I don't understand why you're so against her." He retorted. Then, he added as an afterthought. "Besides, I don't like her. I told you I don't even know her that well."

"You know about her family, right?"

"Are you sure you're not just bitter because she got a better score in History than you did?"

Ichigo grinned at his friend's obvious annoyance.

"That's not the point. She's not a friendly person, Ichigo. She's expected to take over Kuchiki Inc. and-"

Ichigo cut him off. "What's that?"

Uryuu shot his friend a look of disbelief. "You really don't know? Kuchiki Inc. has made a fortune in the technology industry. Everything you own that has an "On" switch, Kuchiki Inc. probably had a hand in producing."

He paused to push his glasses up. "And your friend is supposed to take over the entire company. My father said that her brother has already started making new connections and setting up a smaller branch for her in Tokyo."

_And this is the same girl that wants to party at the beach…_

"What would make her want to spend time with us, then?" Ichigo looked over at the lithe boy in the driver's seat.

Uryuu slowed the sleek Impala to a stop in front of Ichigo's house.

"I don't know. Unless this is some weird business project for her, I'd imagine that she's decided she wants to try being a normal teenager. Maybe this is her way of rebelling?"

Ichigo nodded. Uryuu's suggestion made sense.

_So that's what she didn't want to talk about. That is pretty heavy stuff to try to explain to a stranger. Still…_

"You think I made a mistake?" Ichigo let his hand rest on the door handle, waiting to hear Uryuu's response before getting out of the car.

"I don't know. I suppose we'll find out tomorrow though."

_Well, that's encouraging._

"Thanks for the ride. I'm sure Orihime will love the teddy bear." Ichigo said quickly as he exited the car, referencing the stuffed animal lying in the back seat. Uryuu had asked his opinion about it earlier during the drive, after receiving Ichigo's word that he wouldn't tell anyone else about it.

Uryuu blushed furiously. "It's a lion! And I told you not to talk about it!" He yelled at the orange-haired boy.

Ichigo laughed and waved off the outburst as he walked the few steps to his front door. He watched the silver car speed off, mirroring Uryuu's agitation, before entering his house and closing the door behind him.

**-Rukia-**

After Hanataro had taken her plate, Rukia asked to be excused.

Her brother had kept his unusually pensive mood throughout dinner and, as she walked by him towards the stairs to her room, he stopped her.

"Rukia?"

"Yes, Brother?" Rukia asked, concerned with the older man's odd tone.

"Please don't concern yourself with the details of this outing. I'll have someone clean and furnish the residence before you arrive. Any commodities you might need will be provided and any... unnecessary items will be sent back here." Byakuya spoke briskly.

Rukia's eyes widened in surprise and, for a moment, she was glad he had refused to look at her while he was speaking. This would be the first time anyone had used the cabin since their parents had passed away.

_I guess Byakuya never got around to moving their things…_

"That's very kind of you. Thank you." Rukia stepped back uncertainly as her brother stood. He placed a large hand on her head, ruffling her hair slightly.

"I'm leaving for France on Wednesday. I hope you enjoy your trip. …Be safe." He pulled his hand away awkwardly.

"I will, Brother. Please send my greetings to the members of the French branch." Rukia replied formally, as her brother had always instructed her.

He nodded, an unfamiliar look in his eyes, and they parted ways, Byakuya to his office and Rukia to her room.

In her room, Rukia sat on her luxurious bed and replayed the conversation through her head. She was ecstatic that he was allowing her to go and pleasantly surprised that he was handling the arrangements.

Rukia smoothed her hair again absently. _Dad used to mess with my hair like that…_

Turning off her bedside lamp, Rukia yawned. Byakuya's schedule often required odd mealtimes but she didn't really mind.

Rukia closed her eyes and changed her response to her brother's last statement.

"_I'm leaving for France Wednesday at noon. I hope you enjoy your trip. Be safe."_

_Please be safe too, Brother. I'm sorry I'm not coming with you. I don't know if you're disappointed or not but… I'll miss you._

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I wanted to give a little more background information before we got too far into the story. I am curious though, as the ending isn't written out yet, would you guys rather see Rukia give up her share of the business to be with Ichigo in the end or would you rather they end up working together?

Don't forget to review if you're enjoying Summer Girl so far!


	4. New Friends, New Problems

Alas, we still haven't left Karakura yet but no worries! Next chapter, I promise. :) Also, I've been adding the lyrics at the beginning of each chapter to kind of set the mood for the coming scenes and give you an idea of what I listen to while writing Summer Girl. If you haven't heard some of the songs before, go check them out! They're all spectacular in their own way.

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_'Cause you're a pretty little windstorm out on the boulevard,_  
_ Something like a sunset, oh, you're a shooting star.  
__  
And I might drive myself insane  
__If those lips aren't speaking my name._

**Love Like Woe - The Ready Set**

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**Chapter 4: New Friends, New Problems**

**-Rukia- **

Her alarm went off at 5:30 on Friday morning. Groaning loudly, Rukia rolled over and let her hand fall forcefully on the snooze button. 5 minutes later, it sounded again and Rukia threw it across the room.

She slowly got out of bed, stretched, and retrieved the poor device. Changing into shorts and a plain shirt, Rukia went downstairs and then down another flight of stairs to the basement. She turned the upbeat music on loud and took a moment to loosen up before climbing on the treadmill in their personal gym.

She went over her schedule for the day in her head and then let the rhythm of her quick pace fill her mind and distract her from the rest of the world.

Almost an hour later, Rukia stumbled into the shower and let the refreshingly hot water run over her, relaxing her tired muscles.

**-Ichigo-**

Ichigo got up at 7:10. He pulled a clean black shirt over his head and slipped on a pair of jeans before heading down for breakfast.

"Thanks, Yuzu!" He called as he grabbed his backpack and went out the door, two waffles in hand.

At 7:30, the bell for first period rang as Ichigo sat down at his desk. The teacher shot him a look.

"As you all know, this is the last day of school. However, that does not mean that it is acceptable to slide into class at the last second."

The class snickered at Ms. Ochi's pointed statement and Ichigo rolled his eyes.

"I don't appreciate the attitude, Mr. Kurosaki." She pulled out a large textbook. "Now then, let's finish up with our last assignment for the year."

**-Rukia-**

_What a moron… Does he think it's cool that he shows up late every day?_

Rukia tried to return her focus to the teacher's words. She seemed to notice everything about Ichigo now: the way he seemed completely unmotivated, how he scowled constantly, and especially the way girls giggled when he walked by.

His friends seemed nice, unlike him. As she had expected, Uryuu wasn't too thrilled about her plan but Orihime and Tatsuki's enthusiasm made up for his coldness. She hadn't been able to read Chad but he came across as amiable enough. She had started eating lunch with them on Tuesday and she found that she was actually looking forward to seeing them again today.

A shiver of anticipation slid down her spine. They'd be leaving this weekend. Rukia couldn't believe her plan was actually happening.

**-Ichigo-**

"Ichigo, wait up!" Orihime waved, walking quickly through the hall to catch up with him on their way outside for lunch.

Ichigo paused halfway through the side entrance to the school and the orange haired girl smiled as he held the door open for her.

"Thanks!" She chirped. Ichigo nodded absently.

"No problem." His attention was already on the group sitting in their usual places. Except for that girl… She had wiggled her way in beside Chad, where Ichigo usually sat.

"Move."

Once he reached the circle of people, Ichigo sat down, nudging Rukia closer to Chad to reclaim his space. Orihime greeted their friends and took her usual spot beside Ichigo.

Tatsuki raised an eyebrow at the orange haired boy, almost a warning. Ichigo shrugged in defense. His childhood friend had a violent way of making sure he behaved according to her standards.

"But anyway, like I was saying, you should totally come to the dojo sometime. I think you'd be really good." Tatsuki smiled at Rukia.

"That's very kind of you."

Ichigo watched her bright violet eyes glimmer as she laughed.

"Do you know who's driving this weekend?" Orihime asked Ichigo, diverting his attention from the distracting midget.

He thought for a moment. Keigo had always driven everyone in his parent's giant van but this year they would have to use someone else's car.

"We can take my car." Tatsuki suggested, overhearing her friend's question. "It only fits four people though."

"I can take three in my car." Uryuu added.

"We should race! Girls vs. guys!" Orihime exclaimed, clapping her hands together.

Uryuu cleared his throat. "Perhaps we should just focus on driving safely. Besides, even if we were to win, we would have to wait for your car to arrive so that Rukia could let us in."

He looked over to Rukia. "The cabin is ready, of course? You did mention that there were some issues."

**-Rukia-**

_Spiteful jerk. _

"Of course!" Rukia forced a cheerful smile. "There were never any problems with the cabin. I just wanted to be sure that I was allowed to use it before inviting everyone."

"It was really nice of you to ask us to come," Orihime said, the sincerity clear in her voice. Uryuu seemed to sulk for a moment, displeased with Orihime's easy acceptance of a new friend.

_Serves you right! _Rukia smirked mentally.

"Is there anything you'd like us to bring? I have a grill." Chad changed the subject. He was usually so quiet, it still surprised Rukia slightly when he spoke.

_Did we have a grill there when I was little? Would Brother have supplied something like that?_ Rukia pondered for a moment.

"You don't know if your cabin has a grill?" Ichigo interrupted her thoughts.

Rukia narrowed her eyes at the bright haired boy. "I'm not sure if my brother left it there from the last time we visited." _Suspicious bastards_, she added in her head. Then, she turned to the group, "Anything you'd like to bring would be wonderful."

Finally, the bell signaled the end of lunch and Rukia let out a small sigh, tired of being drilled with questions. The group collected their belongings and began walking to class.

"Oh, Ichigo!"

Rukia watched the pretty redhead get Ichigo's attention to tell him something.

She scolded herself when she realized she had been staring. Walking hastily to avoid listening to their conversation, she accidentally brushed against Chad.

"E-Excuse me." She stammered, embarrassed. His laugh was a deep rumble.

"Don't worry about it." He smiled at her and moved to walk with Orihime and Ichigo.

"Orihime, did you study for that quiz in Chemistry?"

_So the giant can engage in conversation… Who knew?_

Rukia watched as Chad and Ichigo made eye contact. Then, he and Orihime left Ichigo trailing behind.

_What was that about?_

Her heart sped up as she realized Ichigo meant to talk to her. She slowed, allowing him to fall into step beside her.

"I'm sorry about Uryuu. He's better once you get to know him." He spoke awkwardly. Rukia had never heard him speak like he was unsure of himself before. "And I wasn't trying to suggest that you were lying or anything… I was just-"

"It's fine. I understand." She spoke formally, unsure how to respond to his uncharacteristic concern. The tall boy nodded thoughtfully beside her.

"You still wanna go through with this? I mean, we'd all understand if you backed out."

Rukia kept silent as they walked through the crowded hall. They stopped and looked at each other when they reached her next class.

"Isn't that what you're expecting me to do?" Determination flashed in her eyes and she gave a coy smile. "I'll see you on Sunday, Ichigo."

Rukia left him standing in the hallway, heart pounding as she found her seat. She had never been one to flirt so obviously before.

_The look on his face was priceless! _She smirked, remembering the boy's surprised, open-mouthed expression. She, Rukia Kuchiki, had left Ichigo Kurosaki speechless.

Pulling out her notebook and a pencil, Rukia began sketching. As it was the last day of school, her Language teacher had no plans for the class and she was free to work on the picture she had started the night before.

Admiring her work so far, she added another girl bunny to the picture. This one had dark hair and was eating on the deck of the beach house with all the other bunnies. She added the final bunny with special care. It had spiky hair and was sitting next to the girl bunny, smiling happily.

Rukia finished by adding some more details and cleaning up the extra lines. Her face grew warm as she realized she had drawn the two new bunnies so close together, they looked as if they were holding hands.

_This is going to be an interesting week…_

**-Ichigo- **

_What was that all about?_

Ichigo could still picture the small girl standing in the doorway to her classroom, grinning at him. He tried to focus on the quiz in front of him but that little smirk kept creeping into his thoughts.

"Everything ok?" Chad's low whisper caught Ichigo's attention.

"What?"

"You're taking longer than normal."

Ichigo scanned the room; he was the last one still working on the simple chemistry problems.

He scribbled down the last few answers, figuring his almost perfect grade wouldn't suffer too badly, and turned his paper in.

Chad looked up from his book as Ichigo sat back down.

"Just having trouble focusing."

Ichigo noticed the slight skepticism on Chad's face and regretted his last statement. As he was planning to be doctor like his father, chemistry was by far one of Ichigo's better subjects.

Before he could assure his friend that everything was fine though, Chad returned his gaze to his book and commented, "Rukia does seem nice."

_What? That is not what-_

"That's not what I was thinking about." Ichigo grumped, suppressing the urge to argue further. Chad had already returned his attention to reading.

Ichigo took to staring down the clock. _5 more minutes…_

5 more minutes and he would be done with high school forever. Then, it was only 1 more day until they left for Emerald Beach.

_It's still weird as hell…_ _3 more minutes._

Ichigo found himself wondering about the petite raven-haired girl again.

_What would make her want to invite some strangers to her house for a week?_

_1 more minute._

"_I'll see you on Sunday, Ichigo!"_He thought about the way she looked at him as she headed into her classroom.

Was it possible that Rukia Kuchiki was flirting with him?

The bell rang and Ichigo stood mechanically, cheers erupting around him. _There's no way, _he decided and pushed the thoughts from his mind.

Orihime had already left the room so Ichigo and Chad waited for Uryuu. The three boys walked out together triumphantly, celebrating the end of the last school day of the year.

* * *

Can not wait for summer, myself. I do enjoy school but it takes up SO much time. How about you all? Excited as I am for summer? Don't forget to leave a review!


	5. So Long, Karakura!

__Happy Friday! :) Enjoy this next chapter.

* * *

_You see me through,_  
_ I was alone in the dark and the fear was my truth._

_And I feel all the faint morning light_  
_ Filled with hope 'cause you're here in my life._

**All That You Are - The Goo Goo Dolls **

* * *

**Chapter 5: So Long, Karakura! **

**-Ichigo-**

"Everyone ready to go?" Ichigo asked. The group had met at Tatsuki's that morning to set out for Emerald Beach.

Tatsuki and Uryuu's cars were filled with suitcases and various other beach necessities along with snacks and random forms of entertainment. After ensuring that everything was packed and nobody had forgotten anything important, the girls got into Tatsuki's white SUV and the guys into Uryuu's silver Impala.

"We're going to get there first!" Orihime shouted out the window as Tatsuki pulled out of her driveway.

Uryuu waved good-naturedly and followed Tatsuki out of Karakura. Once they were on the highway, Ichigo reclined his chair and closed his eyes.

"You can't go to sleep now. We just started." Uryuu turned the radio up louder.

"Gimme a break. I had to get up early to help Dad pack for their cruise." Ichigo rolled over to face away from the driver's seat.

"C'mon," Uryuu griped. "Who am I supposed to talk to? _Chad?_"

Ichigo chuckled when a blow came from the back seat, jerking Uryuu's chair forward.

"I think I'll take a nap as well. I was there this morning too," Chad said in his own defense.

Uryuu laughed at his own joke and continued teasing, "Think Karin'll be ok without you all week? She might just find another guy on that giant boat and-"

"Orihime might find another guy if you don't ask her out soon." Chad commented, making the boy in the driver's seat turn red.

"I don't know. I'm not sure it's such a good idea anymore." Uryuu spoke quietly, his tone now serious.

"She didn't like your bear thing?" The conversation had caught Ichigo's attention.

"It was a L-I-O-N, Ichigo." Uryuu drew out the word, obviously annoyed. "And she did. At least, she said it was the best graduation present she had ever gotten."

Ichigo snickered. "It was probably the only graduation present she's ever gotten."

Orihime's parents had died while they were all in middle school. Tatsuki was the only person from their group who had been close friends with her at the time but she had sort of adopted Orihime into her home until she turned 16 and moved out on her own.

"That's what I was thinking." Uryuu frowned as he spoke. Tatsuki had been the one to introduce her to the group the summer before high school started and, at the beginning of this year, Uryuu decided that he was developing feelings for the sweet redhead.

"She took it to school with her the last few days; I noticed it in her backpack," Chad said encouragingly.

"Did she really?" Uryuu's eyebrows furrowed again. "I still think she has a crush on you, Ichigo. She certainly talks to you enough."

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "I'm telling you, it's only because Tatsuki and I have been friends since we were kids. She just knows me better."

"And you're sure you wouldn't mind?"

"I am positive. She's all yours, Uryuu." Ichigo replied, reminding his friend, once again, that he had no romantic interest in her.

_Orihime's sweet and all but… she's _sweet.

In a sense, Ichigo figured, he actually cared for his female friends more than he had cared for most of the girls he had dated.

"Girlfriend" was not a familiar term to Ichigo. Usually, a girl asked him out and he either declined or they messed around for a week or two before the girl got boring and clingy. And then, she would cry. They _always_ cried. Ichigo usually just chose to avoid the whole mess entirely.

But Orihime and Tatsuki were special. They didn't put up with his usual attitude that made him attractive to most other girls. Tatsuki was almost like an older sister to him; they had been friends as long as Ichigo could remember and she certainly bossed him around enough.

"And you're going to ask Rukia out, right?" Uryuu's question snapped Ichigo out of his thoughts.

"Why would I do that?" He responded casually. "Besides, you said yourself that she's completely focused on her business stuff."

"I think everyone's noticed that you've taken an interest in her." Uryuu's voice has a suggestive lilt. "And, like I also said, this trip is most likely not an opportunity for her to focus on business."

"Tatsuki might get upset with you." Chad warned.

"Exactly." Ichigo agreed, thankful that Chad had provided him with a reasonable excuse. "Let me know when you ask Orihime out and then we can talk about my love life. In the meantime, I'm going to sleep."

He heard Uryuu mutter some snide comment before turning the music up again. Ichigo smiled at his friend's obvious embarrassment and then covered his eyes with the crook of his elbow to block out the sunlight. Letting his mind wander before he fell asleep, he found himself drifting towards thoughts of the dark-haired girl.

_What if Uryuu's right? What if I did ask her out? _

**-Rukia-**

Rukia was pleasantly surprised when Tatsuki started playing some sort of rock music, very similar to what she listened to during her workouts.

"What's the name of this band?" Rukia leaned forward from the back seat, attempting to make conversation after the quiet start.

A small smirk crossed Tatsuki's face. "You can just ask me to turn it down, you know."

Rukia was about to protest that she had been misunderstood when Orihime smiled kindly and turned the volume down. Then, she turned to face Rukia with mischievous expression.

_What's her deal?_

"So. You really like Ichigo, right?" She looked expectant but Rukia couldn't seem to find her voice.

"Oh, come on!" Tatsuki chimed in. "It's totally obvious that's why you planned this whole trip. You might as well admit it!"

Rukia felt her face heat up. "That's not it at all! I really don't have any feelings for Ichigo." She blushed harder as the girls laughed, clearly not believing her.

"I'm serious! Besides, I thought you liked him, Orihime."

Oddly, this caused Tatsuki to laugh harder.

Orihime blushed and spoke quietly. "We're just friends. I… I'm hoping that Uryuu will ask me out soon. I'm trying to act like Ichigo and I are really close so that he'll get jealous."

Rukia paused. _Is that how flirting works?_

"Are you sure that will work?" Rukia spoke carefully, cautious about admitting her obvious lack of romantic experience.

She watched Tatsuki shrug in the driver's seat and Orihime sighed deeply.

"Well, I don't really know. I saw it in a movie but Tatsuki keeps saying that I should just tell him." The girl's cheeks tinged pink. "Do you want to see what he got me for graduation?"

Still mulling over the idea of pretending to like someone to gain another's attention, Rukia tried to give an engaging smile and nodded.

After rummaging through a bag at her feet for a few minutes, Orihime finally pulled out a dark orange stuffed animal.

"How cute!" Rukia's eye was immediately drawn to the adorable little animal. "Can I hold it?"

Pleased with her friend's reaction, Orihime proudly handed her the toy.

"Have you named it yet?" Rukia asked, letting her fingers run along the soft fur and odd patch of hair sticking out from around its head.

"Why does a bear have so much hair around its face?" Rukia asked before Orihime could answer her first question.

This caused Tatsuki to chuckle again and Orihime snatched the animal back.

"It's a lion!" She protested, hugging it to her chest defensively.

_Could've fooled me…_

"Don't feel bad, Rukia! I _told _her it looks like a bear!" Tatsuki teased.

The redhead swatted at her friend in defense before turning to face Rukia again.

"I haven't decided what I'm going to name him yet. I call him Kon because that's the name of the band that played when Uryuu and I had our first dance but I could never tell anyone that."

Her eyes widened when she realized what she had admitted. "You can't tell anyone!"

Rukia was startled when the girl grabbed her hand, looking into her eyes with a worried expression. Unsure of what to do, Rukia nodded seriously to hide her discomfort.

"I would never do something like that. You can trust me." She tried to give a small smile to return the large grin that covered Orihime's face.

Orihime sat back in the passenger's seat and giggled. "I just knew we'd be friends."

Tatsuki increased the volume on the radio again and the car fell into a comfortable silence for a few moments before the tomboy spoke.

"By the way, the band is Eyeshine!" She paused to give Orihime a sly smile before speaking again. "You should remember them; they're Ichigo's favorite. It'll be a good conversation starter!"

Rukia blushed at the comment but she didn't bother objecting over the loud music. Instead, she sat back and enjoyed the feeling of laughing about anything with her new friends.

* * *

So, if you haven't already, go look up Eyeshine. The lead singer is Johnny Yong Bosch and the music in general is great :) I thought I was being clever by making them Ichigo's favorite band.

Leave a review if you have the time and make me smile.


	6. Chips and Lips: An Unusual Sunday

Hello lovelies! I won't be able to post anything this weekend so I thought I'd get this up now :) Hope you enjoy!_  
_

* * *

_Toned, tanned, fit, and ready,  
Turn it up 'cause it's gettin' heavy.  
Wild, wild, west coast,  
These are the girls I love the most._

_The girl's a freak._  
_She drives a Jeep and lives on the beach_.

_Summertime is everything._

**California Gurls (feat. Snoop Dogg) - Katy Perry**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Chips and Lips: An (Un)usual Sunday**

**-Rukia- **

"What did you say the address was, Rukia?"

Violet eyes opened slowly from a deep sleep. "1306 Gotei," she responded automatically.

Shifting bags and suitcases so that she could sit upright, Rukia looked out the window. Trees and the occasional driveway lined either side of the secluded road. Rukia was almost surprised Tatsuki had managed to find her way this far; she hadn't meant to sleep for so long.

"There's 1305! We must be next!" Orihime squealed as they passed another driveway.

Tatsuki smiled and turned on to the gravel path that was designated as theirs by a mailbox with the name _Kuchiki_ freshly printed on the side. "And we beat the boys! We can claim all the best rooms first!"

The girls giggled and then Orihime caught herself. "Unless you already decided the sleeping arrangements?"

Rukia found the amber-eyed girl looking at her inquisitively. "Oh, no, you can sleep wherever you want."

Orihime seemed pleased and turned back around to get her things together. Tatsuki paused as they approached the cabin.

"Is someone already here?"

Rukia stuck her head out the window to see what Tatsuki was talking about. A black Jeep Wrangler was parked in the driveway. The sleek, glossy appearance and license plate left no doubt in Rukia's mind as to who the Jeep belonged to.

_RK-13, _Rukia smiled. _It's mine!_

All high level member of Kuchiki Inc. had company cars. The cars were always black, always in pristine condition, and labeled with the owner's initials and branch number.

"It's mine. Just pull in next to it." The dark haired girl answered. Once Tatsuki parked, Rukia jumped out to look at her new car. A piece of paper stuck on the under the windshield wipers caught her eye.

_Sorry I missed graduation. _

_-B_

Her breath caught in her chest and, for a moment, Rukia regretted not saying good-bye to her brother the way she had wanted to the night after their talk.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a question from Tatsuki as to where to put the bags. She grabbed the note and found the key taped to the back. Stuffing both in her pocket, she returned her attention to her friends.

20 minutes later they had emptied the car and examined every inch of the two-story cabin. There were exactly 6 rooms, each with one large bed, but Orihime and Tatsuki insisted they didn't mind sharing a room on the first floor with a connected bathroom.

After showing the girls around, Rukia entered her old room on the second floor. The room was opposite from the other three rooms down the hall but it also had a connected bathroom and a large window that looked out to the beach.

Walking around the room, she found a stack of books by the door, some old clothes in the closet, and a filled sketch pad lying beside the bed. Everything had been dusted and the sheets were fresh but the room still looked exactly as it had years ago.

_Everything is just as I left it. Thank you, Brother._

**-Ichigo-**

"That was 1306."

Three heads turned in sync as the silver car passed its destination.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Uryuu spoke through clenched teeth. Ichigo held back a small snicker. Uryuu's GPS lay on the floor of the back seat, a result of its tendency to report unnecessarily that the car was not driving on a charted road.

The boys had spent about 30 minutes driving around the town of Emerald Beach until Chad found Gotei Lane, an unpaved road that the GPS had been unable to locate.

"You did tell us to be quiet until you found the address." Chad defended his friend, amusement apparent in his voice.

"Just shut up. I'm going to turn around." Uryuu grumbled.

Ichigo noticed the black Jeep as they parked beside Tatsuki's SUV. _I wonder who Rukia's friend is…_

It took one trip for them to bring in the suitcases and one more for Chad to get the grill. The boys each selected a room on the second floor, leaving the one extra room on the first floor unoccupied. They were investigating the kitchen when Ichigo remembered his question.

"Hey, Rukia." The dining room was visible from the kitchen and all three girls looked up from the table curiously.

The dinner layout was simple; the teens had made sandwiches and a bag of chips rested on the table. Ichigo grabbed a water bottle and joined the others at the table.

"Whose car is outside?" Ichigo tried to sound as nonchalant as possible.

"Obviously it's hers." Uryuu gave him a sly look as he sat down. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you sounded jealous."

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Don't be stupid. I'm just asking because I want to go to the store after dinner. I don't think you want to spend another half hour looking for the road on our way back."

Orihime's eyes widened. "Did you have trouble finding your way here?"

Uryuu blushed under the girl's concerned gaze. "There was just a little issue with my GPS. It was really nothing."

Rukia seemed oddly pleased at the conversation between Orihime and Uryuu but her attention quickly turned back to Ichigo.

"Everything should already be here. Why do you want to go to the store?"

"Just to get some stuff." Ichigo responded vaguely. The girl sitting across from him raised a dark eyebrow. "Chad's a vegetarian. I was going to get some stuff for him and other snacks that we usually get."

The dark skinned boy looked up at his friend curiously but didn't protest. Tatsuki gulped down some water before speaking.

"You can take my car if you want. Just make sure you get some of those chips I like."

Tatsuki reached for her keys but Rukia stopped her. "We'll take my car. I did say I'd cover food expenses."

"Don't be ridiculous," Ichigo protested as she got up and threw her empty paper plate away.

"Come on already. Besides, someone has to make sure you don't get lost again." A smirk crossed her face.

"I know how to get to the store! We've come here every year since middle school."

Tatsuki rolled her eyes. "Quit throwing a fit! Just go and don't forget my chips!"

Ichigo groaned, obviously defeated. "Fine."

**-Rukia-**

_Why is Tatsuki wiggling her eyebrows like that?_

Rukia mumbled an awkward good-bye to the tomboy and, only after she and Ichigo had gotten into the car, did she realize what Tatsuki had been implying. She checked over her shoulder to pull out of the parking area and risked a quick glance at the boy in the passenger's seat.

He was looking out the window as if completely uninterested in her and inconvenienced by the entire situation.

_Looks like Tatsuki's going to be disappointed…_

In an attempt to make herself feel less awkward, Rukia turned on the radio. She settled on the station that she and the girls had listened to earlier and tried to appear as aloof as the man sitting next to her.

"You like this band?" The abrupt question startled her.

"I-I guess," Rukia caught herself stuttering and paused before continuing, "I'm not sure of their name but I like this song."

Ichigo nodded contemplatively. "Waterfall by Eyeshine. It's their best single so far."

The statement had a tone of finality to it, like something he genuinely wanted her to know but couldn't be bothered to make further mindless chit-chat.

Rukia remembered that she was supposed to talk to him about this band but she couldn't find a way to restart the conversation without it sounding forced and shallow.

Luckily, before the silence become too overbearing, they were in the parking lot of the local convenience store.

"Look, I appreciate you driving me and all but you really don't have to come in. It's embarrassing to have a girl pay for you."

Rukia purposefully avoided meeting his eyes as she hopped out of the car and started walking. She heard the car door slam loudly behind her and smirked. _I guess Mr. Cool isn't used to not getting his way._

A familiar flash of color across the lot caught her attention as she reached for the door. Her unexpected pause caused Ichigo to come to a sudden stop, millimeters away from running into her. He reached over her head and pulled the door open, forcing her to lean into him to avoid being hit.

"Hey, be careful!" Rukia spat as they entered the store.

"Watch where you're going," he said simply, shrugging for added effect. "Why'd you stop like that?"

_It couldn't be… There's no way._

Rukia shook her head. "It was nothing. I just thought I saw someone I knew."

She turned to find that he had already grabbed a small shopping basket and was heading towards the snack aisle. With a roll of her eyes, Rukia followed.

**-Ichigo-**

_Chips, chips, chips…_

Ichigo looked through the numerous options and finally selected five large bags, all different varieties. Then, he walked down a few more aisles, grabbing an assortment of items he knew his friends liked.

The midget was still trailing behind him and, for once, she was surprisingly quiet. She seemed to have an odd fascination with what he was choosing and putting in the basket.

_What a weirdo._

"What's the kid's cereal for?"

Ichigo had tried to be sneaky about slipping the Kellogg's Chocolate Rings into the basket but to no avail.

"Yuzu always gets it at home and every now and then I have some in the morning. Is that a problem?"

Purple eyes grew wide in innocence and she shook her head, making her hair swish gracefully around her neck. Ichigo watched as she walked ahead. _She almost looked pretty for a second._

And then, "Who's Yuzu?"

Ichigo sighed. This trip was taking entirely too long. "My younger sister. She and my other sister, Karin, will be sophomores next year."

Rukia looked at him thoughtfully for a moment and then nodded. "I think I've seen them in gym."

Ichigo grunted noncommittally in reply and continued walking down the aisle, stopping to grab a couple packages of hamburgers, veggie and regular, and a package of hot dogs.

"Anything you wanna get?" Ichigo asked before they reached the cashier. He watched her eyebrows pull together as she thought. If he didn't know better, he might have thought it was cute the way her bright eyes looked over the store and then fixated on something across from the register.

Ichigo tried to follow her gaze but a rack of kid's rabbit toys blocked whatever she was staring at. He turned to look at her questioningly but her attention had already been diverted.

"No. I don't need anything." Apparently, she had changed her mind.

Ichigo set the full basket on the counter and stuck a hand in his pocket for his wallet.

"Miss Kuchiki! How nice to see you! Is Byakuya visiting as well?" The blonde cashier beamed as he noticed Rukia walking past Ichigo.

"My brother is currently on a business trip." Rukia gave the man a polite smile as she handed him a credit card.

Her voice wasn't cold exactly, but Ichigo noticed a formal congeniality that Rukia had never displayed before.

"Well, be sure to say hi to him for me when you see him. It's certainly been a while since I've seen either of you around here." The older man's voice now had a teasing lilt to it. "So, you and your boyfriend are here for some romantic time alone then?"

Before he could protest, Rukia spoke, "Mr. Urahara, please." Her face was flushed and, though her voice was reprimanding, there was a friendlier glint in her eyes. "I'm staying with some friends from school. This is my _friend_, Ichigo."

She gestured to him and then back to the cashier. "This is a friend of my brother's: Mr. Urahara."

The man smiled widely at him. "Nice to meet you, Ichigo!"

"Hey." Ichigo nodded and picked up the grocery bags.

"It was nice seeing you two! Yoruichi will be upset that she missed you." Urahara called as Ichigo and Rukia headed for the door.

Rukia turned and replied, "Please give Mrs. Kisuke my regards. I enjoyed seeing you as well."

She gave a polite wave and followed Ichigo out the door.

"You have strange friends." Ichigo commented once they were in the car.

Rukia's pink lips curled into a smile and, before he could stop himself, he found himself mirroring the action.

He quickly recovered with a scowl when she spoke.

"Urahara and my brother grew up together." She hesitated, as if considering whether she wanted to continue.

"Our families often vacationed here together and they were business partners until Urahara decided to move out here. He's one of the few people that my brother has admitted to actually being fond of. I imagine it's because he no longer has to work with him." A smirk formed on that petite mouth and Ichigo realized that she was trying to make a joke.

He allowed himself to chuckle quietly and made a mental note that maybe this brat wasn't as bad as he had thought.

.

.

Later, after they had returned home and everyone had turned in for the night, Ichigo found himself lying in bed, thinking about those small pink lips.

He tried to imagine what they would taste like, soft and warm against his own before forcing the thoughts out of his head.

_The last thing I need is to get attached to someone I'm never going to see again. She'll be out of my life completely in a week. No point in even thinking about it._

Ichigo pulled the white sheets around himself tighter and tried to quiet his mind. Slowly, he allowed the sound of the waves outside to lull him into a peaceful and dreamless sleep.

* * *

Well, there you have it :) This was one of my favorite chapters to write so I hope you all liked it as well. Please review!


	7. New Alliances

Hello again! :) My summer officially started today; I'm so happy! I hope you all are having a wonderful day as well!

* * *

_Looking around, I can't believe that this is me,  
__the light that reveals what I've saved._

_ To give it up or give away was my old way_

It must be the way you moved me into your light.  
It's gonna be all right

Summer time I've got you on my _mind_

**Summertime (Acoustic) - Eyeshine**

* * *

**Chapter 7: New Alliances**

**-Rukia-**

Rukia woke up to the sun streaming in from the window, spreading light across the floor of the room and her bed.

Out of habit, she checked her phone before remembering that she didn't get service on the beach. The screen read 8:02 Monday, June 3. Rukia slowly climbed out of bed, stretching and taking a moment to admire the view from her window.

By the time she had showered and put on one of her favorite sundresses, it was only 8:47. Rukia still hadn't heard anything to suggest that the others had woken up yet and decided to head downstairs to start breakfast.

Humming quietly to herself, she pulled out a carton of eggs from the refrigerator and turned on the stove.

"Do you want any help?" The deep voice made Rukia jump and she dropped the two eggs she had been holding on the ground.

Chad had an amused look on his face. "Sorry."

_Shit! Of all the goddamn spastic, motherfu-_

"It's fine. I didn't realize anyone was up." Rukia composed herself and watched the tall boy get up from his seat looking out onto the beach.

"I like watching the waves when I can't sleep." He said simply before taking some paper towels and kneeling to wipe up the mess on the floor.

"Thanks." Rukia moved so she was out of his way. "I'm sorry I interrupted."

Chad shrugged. "You didn't. Can I help with anything?"

Rukia took a moment to analyze him. Out of the group, he was the one she knew the least about but strangely, she didn't feel uncomfortable around him. His pink flower patterned shirt made him seem much less intimidating than their old school uniform had and, so far, he had been more polite than Uryuu and Ichigo combined.

"Well, I was going to make a pot of miso soup and some toast after this." Rukia offered.

"I'll chop up the tofu and onions."

They worked in silence, Chad at the counter and Rukia at the stove, but the quiet companionship was enjoyable. By the time Tatsuki and Orihime entered the living room, all that was left to do was butter the toast.

**-Ichigo-**

_Damn, the midget can cook._

Ichigo finished off his third bowl as his friends chatted about their plans for the day.

"Well, if you're interested, a friend of mine invited us to a party tonight. Her house is closer to the residential part of town but it's still on the beach." Rukia said, catching the group's attention.

"Perfect!" Tatsuki smiled. "We can finally celebrate being done with high school."

Orihime nodded, mouth full of toast, to agree with her friend.

"Sounds good to me." Uryuu's response surprised Ichigo. Uryuu wasn't exactly the partying type.

_But then again, I wouldn't have predicted that Rukia was into socializing either. This week's just full of surprises._

Chad said he was in and Ichigo found his friends' attention on him, awaiting a response.

"Yeah. Whatever."

Obviously pleased, his friends resumed their conversation about what else they would do today. Rukia excused herself and began clearing the empty dishes from the table.

"Umm, Ichigo?" Orihime's voice sounded timid and quiet even though she was sitting next to him.

He pulled his gaze away from the petite girl and looked at the redhead to show that she had his attention.

"I was wondering… If, maybe, you would want to go for a walk on the beach this morning?"

The meaning of her question sunk in and Ichigo's eyes found Uryuu's quickly. His icy blue stare was more disappointed than accusatory but Ichigo still felt a chill in his stomach.

"Sure. Anyone else want to come?" Ichigo spoke hurriedly, trying to give his friend a chance to join.

"Nah. Chad and I are going to the gym in a little bit," Tatsuki said.

Ichigo waited for a reply from the raven-haired boy but he refused with a small, nonchalant shrug. "I'll probably stay here and read for a while."

_What a selfish, immature-_

"Hey, Rukia!" Ichigo called to the kitchen in a last attempt.

She poked her head out the doorway.

"You want to go for a walk with us?"

"Sure," she chirped. "Just let me put these dishes away and I'll be ready."

Ichigo let out a small sigh of relief. He really did like Orihime as a friend but, though he denied it for Uryuu, he had also noticed how she often sought him out for conversations or time together more than she did for her other male friends.

"Ready?" Rukia had slipped on a brown pair of sandals to match her light blue dress.

"Yeah." Ichigo stood up.

When he and Orihime stood up, Ichigo noticed a look that faintly resembled horror cross Rukia's face.

"Is it just us three?"

**-Rukia-**

_Stupid, stupid, stupid!_

Rukia felt guilty for ruining Orihime's attempt to be alone with Ichigo. _Of course, the point isn't for her to actually be alone with him, but to have Uryuu think that they were alone but still…_

"Is something wrong?" Orihime asked, noticing the girl's sudden hesitance.

Rukia sighed inwardly. "No, I'm fine. Let's go."

Orihime donned a sandy-colored wide brimmed hat and Ichigo grabbed a pair of shoes. As the trio headed for the door to the porch, Rukia had an idea.

"You should come with us if you're not busy, Uryuu. We could use another guy to… collect firewood on our way back." Rukia smiled at her own genius.

The boy paused to adjust his glasses and, for a moment, Rukia thought he was going to refuse just to spite her.

"If you insist." Uryuu followed them out the door and walked ahead to fall in step beside Ichigo, who clapped him on the back with an odd amount of force and laughed about something.

Walking a few steps behind, Rukia spoke quietly so the boys wouldn't hear. "I thought everyone was coming. I'm sorry if-"

"You're brilliant, Rukia." The taller girl giggled. "I never would've been able to do that. Thank you."

Pride swelled in Rukia's chest. "You're welcome."

"Hey! Are you guys coming or what?" Ichigo had finally noticed the girls' slow pace.

"Hey! …Shut up!" Rukia retorted causing Orihime to laugh.

"Took you long enough." Ichigo commented when they caught up.

Rukia scoffed. "We were having a conversation. Maybe you just walk too fast."

"More like your legs are too short to keep up with us adults."

"My legs are a perfectly normal length!" Rukia spat, elbowing him in the stomach as she walked past.

He let out a grunt and string of curses. Refusing to grace the stupid oaf with her attention again, Rukia kept her eyes forward but she heard a deeper laugh accompany Ichigo's misery.

"I'm impressed. I thought Tatsuki was the only person who knew how to keep you in your place."

Orihime giggled at Uryuu's statement and Rukia smiled.

_I guess we're on the same side now._

**-Ichigo-**

_Stupid bitch._

"Bitch." Ichigo muttered, just loud enough so she could hear when they were walking alone.

Orihime had decided to walk closer to the water, letting the biggest waves reach up and swirl around her feet. Uryuu stayed well away from the water but close enough to still carry on a conversation with the redhead.

Ichigo and Rukia had taken to walking higher up on the shore in order to give the pair some privacy.

"Don't call me short." The girl walking next to him finally responded.

"Don't elbow me."

"Don't be stupid."

"Don't be so annoying."

There was silence and Ichigo grinned, pleased that he had won the argument.

"This is childish. Where are we going anyway?" Her violet eyes looked up at him curiously.

Ichigo shrugged. "This was Orihime's idea, not mine. Ask her."

He watched the girl walking beside him roll her eyes in irritation. Looking to his other side, Ichigo saw Uryuu still conversing with Orihime, laughing and obviously enjoying himself.

_At least one of us is having fun…_

"Uryuu certainly appears to be in a good mood." Rukia commented. Ichigo noticed her too-casual attitude but couldn't fathom why the midget would be interested in Uryuu and his mood swings.

"Orihime usually brings out the best in people. He's no exception." Ichigo responded nonchalantly. "Since when do you care?"

Rukia shrugged, avoiding his gaze. "Would you say she brings out the best in you as well?"

Ichigo paused. _What kind of question is that? Does Orihime bring out the best in me? How the hell should I know?_

"I don't know. I never really thought about it. You never answered my question." He snapped.

"You didn't answer mine."

Ichigo frowned at the sharp response. _What's with her? _He studied the face of the girl beside him, taking in her slightly furrowed eyebrows, calculating eyes, and tinged cheeks.

And then it clicked. Rukia Kuchiki was _jealous._

"Orihime's a great girl. She's so positive, it's hard not let it rub off on you." Ichigo smirked as Rukia's violet eyes narrowed. "There's your answer. Now, tell me why you're so interested in Uryuu all of a sudden."

**-Rukia-**

_If I didn't know better, I'd say he sounded jealous…_

Rukia crafted her response carefully, concentration apparent on her face. "I simply want to make sure that everyone is having a good time. It's my responsibility as hostess."

Feeling smug, Rukia knew Ichigo wasn't buying her excuse but she decided she'd let him think what he wanted for now. Hopefully, Orihime would tell Uryuu of her feelings soon and she wouldn't have to keep making excuses.

_But what if Ichigo really does have feelings for Orihime…_

A heaviness settled in Rukia's stomach at the thought. It hadn't occurred to her before but now that she thought about it, it was possible he could honestly return Orihime's fake affections…

"Rukia! Ichigo! Look what Uryuu found!" Orihime's shout interrupted her thoughts.

Both Rukia and Ichigo stopped to witness Uryuu's discovery. In both hands, Uryuu held a thick piece of driftwood, spanning longer than his own height, with Orihime holding on to the end and waving with her other hand.

"I think we've got our firewood. Can you give me a hand, Ichigo?" Uryuu asked, pride and strain both obvious in his voice. Rukia heard a small chuckle from the man beside her and she watched him walk quickly to help his friend, giving no more than a polite glance towards the redhead.

With her previous concerns relieved, Rukia joined the trio in carrying the large object back to the beach house. As they trekked across the beach, Rukia snuck a peek down the log, briefly watching the pair at the end exchange coy glances and flirtatious comments.

Then, she looked curiously at the tall carrot-top next to her, wondering. He scowled back and Rukia automatically stuck out her tongue.

_Stupid jerk. There's no way I'll ever be interested in him._

And then, his hand brushed hers as they stopped to reposition the log. Between his uncharacteristic mumbled apology and her tingling skin, Rukia almost found herself daring to doubt her earlier thoughts.

* * *

Next chapter was one of my favorites to write. :) You should be very excited. Review please!


	8. Let the Party Begin!

I think this is my favorite chapter I've posted so far; I just couldn't wait :) I hope you all like it too!

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_Give me a second, I-I need to get my story straight.  
My friends are in the bathroom getting higher than the Empire State._

_My lover, she is waiting for me just across the bar._  
_My seat's been taken by some sunglasses asking 'bout a scar._

_So, if by the time the bar closes and you feel like falling down,_

_I'll carry you home tonight_

**We Are Young (feat. Janelle Monae) - Fun**

* * *

**Chapter 8: Let the Party Begin!**

**-Rukia-**

_Too tight… too short… too… nonexistent_

Rukia sighed as she looked herself over in the mirror and decided that this would be the third outfit of Tatsuki's that she refused. After returning from their walk that morning and spending the afternoon on the beach, the girls were getting ready to go to the party on the other side of town.

Tatsuki and Orihime had nixed her first idea, a nice pair of jeans and a black blouse, and insisted that, if she wanted to be noticed, she should wear something more provocative.

"I don't think this one will work either. I'm sorry." Rukia exited the bathroom to find Orihime fixing her make-up and Tatsuki sitting on the bed they shared, looking thoughtfully at Rukia's jeans.

"Are these really expensive?" Tatsuki asked.

Rukia paused. Most of her clothes were picked out by a maid. "Umm… I don't remember exactly. Why?"

"Would you mind if I… altered them a little bit? I think we can find a compromise." A large grin crossed Tatsuki's face and it made Rukia a little uneasy.

_Oh, what the hell…_

"Go ahead. I don't wear them much anyway." Rukia shrugged for added effect, curious to see what Tatsuki was going to do.

"Hey, 'Hime. Did you bring any scissors?"

"Yeah, I think they're in my pink bag under the bed. Why?" Orihime applied a shiny coat of lip gloss and walked over to join the dark haired girls on the large bed.

"Just a sec…"

Rukia watched, half fascinated, half horrified, as Tatsuki cut off the legs of her jeans.

"Well, what do you think?" She now held up a pair of ridiculously small shorts.

Fishing for words, Rukia was saved when Orihime gushed, "Oh, that's perfect! Can I do the shirt?"

Noticing Rukia's hesitance, Tatsuki smiled reassuringly, "Orihime's really handy at stuff like this. You won't be disappointed."

"Oh… Ok, then." Rukia smiled weakly.

_At least it can't get worse…_

**-Ichigo-**

"What on earth is taking them so long? We're already an hour late." Uryuu adjusted his glasses in irritation.

Ichigo chuckled. "We'd look like losers if we showed up on time. At least we can entertain ourselves while we wait."

Chad smiled and placed his cards on the table. "I win."

Uryuu groaned and got out his wallet. "Some entertainment..."

**-Rukia-**

"I… I love it, Orihime." Rukia's voice was quiet but sincere. The alterations to the blouse had been slight, a long cut up each sleeve so just the wristbands and shoulders were still connected and the neckline had been widened so it fell just off her shoulders but Rukia still admired the way it flowed around her body.

She smiled at her reflection. Though she would never admit it out loud, Rukia felt badass.

"You look hot." Tatsuki nodded encouragingly. "Here. Put these on too." She handed her some gold bangles and a long necklace.

"I guess we're ready!" Orihime beamed.

_She looks beautiful_, Rukia thought. The curvy redhead wore a navy blue shirt with a short red skirt, clashing attractively with Tatsuki, clad in a tight scarlet top and loose fitting cargo pants.

"Let's go!" Tatsuki opened the door, pulling Rukia out of her thoughts.

She nodded eagerly, "Coming!"

**-Ichigo- **

"Finally!"

Ichigo heard the door open down the hall and laughed at his friend's impatience. "You guys ready to go?" He asked, standing up.

"Quit whining. Yes, we're ready." Tatsuki smiled, pulling Rukia in front of her. "What do you think?"

… _Damn._

Ichigo took a deep breath. Tatsuki's question was obviously pointed at him.

"You don't look like Miss Honor Roll anymore, that's for sure."

There was a long pause as everyone waited to see how Rukia would react.

Ichigo saw a flash of annoyance in her eyes but she covered quickly. "Thank you. At least you clean up decently."

"Thanks, midget." Ichigo smirked. He knew he looked damn good in his dark jeans and white shirt.

"We should probably go now!" Orihime said quickly, grabbing Rukia's hand and leading her outside before she could retaliate.

"And you're sure you're not interested?" Uryuu asked quietly, grinning and nudging Ichigo with his shoulder as he followed Orihime.

"Girls in my car!" Tatsuki called as they walked out the door. Ichigo scoffed at his friend's comment but, watching the petite girl get into the white car with her long creamy legs and silky hair, he wondered if he wasn't just the tiniest bit interested after all.

**-Rukia-**

Rukia looked around awkwardly, sipping occasionally from a cup of water and standing by a table of food in the open kitchen. She didn't know what she had expected this party to be like but it certainly wasn't this mess.

The music was blaring, sloppy drunks were everywhere, and Rukia was pretty sure she had walked in on a group of people getting high when she tried to go to the bathroom.

_Is this how all parties are?_

Rukia moved to take another drink of water but decided against it.

_Who knows what they're doing in the bathroom now…_

The beach house was set up much like their own, only smaller with the kitchen connected to the living room. She spotted Chad and Ichigo talking to a group across the room and Orihime seemed to have convinced Uryuu to dance with her. Tatsuki was off in a dark corner talking to some guy.

_He looks sort of familiar. I wonder if-_

"What's a pretty thing like you doing all by yourself?"

Rukia found herself uncomfortably close to the blue haired man sidling up beside her.

"I'm …waiting for someone." Rukia blushed, realizing how pathetic her lie must seem.

"Is that so? Mind if I wait with you?" The man had a wicked grin.

Rukia tried to find her voice. "I'm actually friends with the host. Do you know where she is?"

"You're friends with Matsumoto?" The man's eyebrows rose in surprise. "You seem awfully quiet to be friends with a girl like that."

"We're childhood friends. If you'll excuse me-" Rukia's voice was laced with annoyance and she considered hitting him when he grabbed her arm.

"Oh, come on. I'm sorry." Icy blue eyes softened and he let go. "I didn't mean to insult you. Matsumoto's busy right now but why don't you stay and chat? My name's Grimmjow."

Rukia looked him over carefully before glancing back to find her friends. She only saw Chad now, still with the same group. And then she noticed Ichigo, talking off to the side with some girl.

"I'm Rukia." She pasted a smile on her face, determined to appear just as confident as this strange man with the piercing eyes.

"Pretty name. Let me get you a drink, Rukia."

**-Ichigo-**

"I like your shoes." The girl sitting across from him giggled, leaning forward to get a better look and giving Ichigo a perfect view down the front of her shirt.

"…Thanks." Ichigo rolled his eyes. First his hair, then the music, his shirt, the beer… Apparently this girl liked everything.

She was hot, no denying that with her purple hair and slim figure, but drunk girls were not exactly stimulating conversation.

"I like your belt too." Her hand moved down his chest to his waist. Her amber eyes met his and she smiled suggestively.

_So much for subtlety… _

"Ichigo." Chad's voice caught Ichigo's attention. The tan boy had risen from the couch and tilted his head in the direction of the kitchen.

"I think I should go, Sara." Ichigo stood slowly, untangling himself from the girl clinging to his arms while trying to see what Chad was gesturing to.

"My name's Senna, silly." The girl giggled again.

Ichigo didn't say anything in response, instead he moved to where Chad was standing.

"What do you think?" Chad asked, still watching the scene taking place in the kitchen.

Ichigo frowned. _What does that punk think he's doing?_

The blue haired man had an arm around Rukia, who was sitting on top of the counter, her face flushed. Blue Hair had an amused look on his face as he watched Rukia talk, he laughed when she laughed, and, every once and a while, he moved just a little bit closer to the petite girl.

They were sharing a cup of something; Rukia took a sip when he spoke and he would drink while she talked. This time though, while Rukia was busy laughing at her own story, Blue Hair slipped a hand in his pocket before taking the cup from her, dropping something into the drink.

"Hey!" Ichigo yelled, pushing through people to get to the kitchen. "Hey! Rukia!"

She couldn't hear his shouts over the music but Chad was surprisingly agile for someone his size. Within a few long strides, he had crossed through the doorway and taken the cup from Rukia before she could take another sip, crushing it in his hand.

"What are you doing?" Rukia shrieked, moving farther back on the counter to avoid the foamy spray.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" Blue Hair drew back an arm to hit Chad but Ichigo was faster, stepping between them and landing a punch dead center on the jerk's face.

People flooded the kitchen, swarming around Ichigo and the blue haired man.

The man wiped blood away from his nose and tried to regain his balance. Ichigo moved quickly before he lost his advantage and deftly kicked him in the stomach.

Blue Hair coughed a couple times as he stood up but didn't seem interested in attacking again. "What's your fucking problem?"

"You fucking tried to roofie her, you asshole!" Ichigo cursed. The room was quiet now and Ichigo looked around for Rukia.

"I think we should go now." Chad spoke firmly. He had swept up a stunned Rukia in his arms, her eyes wide in shock.

"Maybe next time you should keep your bitch on a leash-"

The man's muttering was interrupted by a forceful kick to the back of the head. Ichigo couldn't help but smile as Tatsuki knocked Blue Hair to the ground again.

Turning to face her friends, the athletic girl grinned with a satisfied smile. "Let's go, guys. We don't have to deal with this."

Ichigo watched her wave to some weird looking guy with red hair before leading Chad, still with Rukia, and himself away from the crowd of people.

Orihime and Uryuu met up with them as they reached the door and Orihime took Rukia in her arms when Chad set her down.

Adrenaline still pumping through his body, Ichigo told Uryuu what had happened, in between long rants and strings of curses, as they headed home.

**-Rukia-**

Tatsuki drove carefully, trying to absorb what had happened as she pieced the story together. Rukia was mostly silent; the girls had stopped asking questions when they noticed her reluctance to answer.

Orihime had opted to sit in the back seat with her and was stroking her hair soothingly.

"It's ok, Rukia. Chad and Ichigo stopped him. You're safe now."

Rukia let her head rest on her friend's shoulder. She refused to think about what might have happened if they hadn't stepped in, what he would've done to her. She refused to think about Ichigo and Chad getting hurt because she was too stupid to realize when she was being taken advantage of.

Instead, she shut her eyes so tight everything was black and cried on Orihime's shoulder until they got home.

* * *

So much drama ;) haha Did this chapter live up to expectations?

Review and wish me a happy graduation!


	9. Of Ramblings, Running, and Rhythm

I'm sorry this one is so late. I was in a minor car accident earlier this weekend. Fortunately, no one was hurt and the damage to both cars was slight.

Anyway, on with the story:

Alright, this one's a little shorter but I wanted to slow things down a little bit and focus on the emotions behind all the action. Also, So Contagious is one of my favorite songs for this story - go listen to it!

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_Oh, no, this couldn't be more unexpected  
And I can tell I've been moving in so slow.  
Don't let it throw you off too far_

'Cause I'll be running right behind you.

**So Contagious - Acceptance**

* * *

**Chapter 9: Of Ramblings, Running, and Rhythm**

**-Ichigo-**

Ichigo sat on the deck, facing the ocean, and laced up his running shoes. He spent a few minutes stretching, letting the morning sun warm his muscles.

The door opened behind him and he glanced up to meet wide violet eyes.

"Oh, I-I'm sorry." Rukia turned away quickly but Ichigo could still see the bright blush on her face. He was surprised anyone was awake this early; especially the girl standing in front of him who he expected had a nasty hangover.

Ichigo looked down at his athletic form, currently clad in only running shoes and a pair of black shorts.

_A shirt might've been a good idea…_

"It's fine. I was just going to go for a run." He noticed the girl's fitted t-shirt, purple shorts, and running shoes similar to his own. "Is that what you were doing?"

Rukia nodded, still not looking directly at him. "I run a lot in Karakura. You can go ahead; I'll go the other way."

Her eyes seemed redder than usual and her formal tone was more cold than polite. Stuck between genuine concern and not wanting to intrude, Ichigo suggested gently, "We could run together… if you want."

"All right." The girl sighed tiredly as if the offer repulsed her but she didn't have the energy to protest. She briefly stretched her legs and stepped from the deck on to the sand beside him.

"You know, running on sand is a lot different than running on your fancy little treadmill. I'll try not to go to fast for you." Ichigo teased lightly.

A glint shone in her eyes and, for a moment, she looked normal again, but her jaded expression quickly returned. "Just try to keep up. 5 miles sound good?"

Ichigo grinned. "Sure. If you're not dead before then."

She made a noise that sounded like a scoff and took off in the same direction they had gone with Orihime and Uryuu the previous day.

_Oh, it's on._

**-Rukia-**

_So sand's a little bit different. 5 miles should still be no problem._

Rukia focused on her breathing and keeping her stride even. The sand was putting a strain on her calves and her head still ached from the alcohol and lack of sleep but those weren't the only distractions.

They were almost 10 minutes in and the jerk hadn't even broken a sweat. She didn't allow herself to look at him but every few minutes his longer stride would pull him ahead and she could see the muscles ripple in his back and legs as he ran.

_Stupid show-off._

Rukia pushed herself forward, ignoring the heat curling through her legs.

**-Ichigo-**

Ichigo figured they were close to 2 miles. The sand didn't bother him much; he had done this many times before and simply adjusted his pace and stride to accommodate the unstable surface but Rukia seemed to have more trouble.

Ichigo thought about slowing down but she didn't seem to have any intentions of easing up. Ichigo kept one ear open for the rhythm of her breathing and tried to pay attention to his own form instead of the slender one running beside him.

**-Rukia-**

They had to be at 4 miles, at least. Rukia struggled to keep her breathing from sounding haggard but her feet were slipping more and more.

_It's all this damn sand. I might as well be running on the fucking ocean._

Her calves had cramped up a few times already and she eased up her pace to placate her throbbing head but she still refused to let the carrot head have the satisfaction of winning.

She was a _Kuchiki,_ damn it.

**-Ichigo-**

When she slowed for the third time, Ichigo decided that was enough.

"I think that's 5." Ichigo eased his pace into a slow jog. Realistically, he figured they were a little over 4 miles, but Rukia had either lost track of time or was too tired to care because she slowed beside him without protest.

They had turned around after reaching a public section of the beach and only had about a mile between them and the cabin.

"Do you mind if we stop for a minute? I want to stretch again." Ichigo watched the raven-haired girl nod and plop down in the sand a few steps away. She reached forward, grabbing her toes and pulling to stretch the backs of her legs.

_She's certainly stubborn, I'll give her that._

Her face was still flushed from the run when she looked back up at him and Ichigo realized he had been staring. He grabbed an ankle and pulled it back, stretching his quad in an attempt to appear busy.

Rukia seemed to buy it because she looked away and continued working on her calves.

Ichigo forced himself to continue going through the motions, watching her out of the corner of his eye, and only allowing himself to sit down next to her when she seemed finished.

**-Rukia-**

_Ohhhh…_

Exhaling slowly, Rukia bent forward and felt the tension release in her muscles. Yes, Ichigo Kurosaki was the better runner but right now, Rukia found she was having a hard time caring.

She had already completely humiliated herself in front of him last night, she figured it didn't really matter if she did it again now by sitting down, totally exhausted.

She was surprised when he sat down next to her. He had caught her staring earlier but he had yet to make some smart comment.

If Rukia hated anything in this world, it was pity. She'd prefer even his crudest remark to this sympathy.

"I'm fine, you know." She met his gaze evenly to let him know she was serious.

"I know." He didn't look away.

After a pause, Rukia broke the eye contact and spoke again.

"I… " She inhaled deeply to calm her racing heart and force the words from her throat, "About last night, I wanted to say-"

"You're welcome." His tone was uncharacteristically sincere and it made Rukia uncomfortable.

"Thank you."

She felt his eyes rest on her a moment longer before he turned to face forward.

**-Ichigo-**

Ichigo watched the waves crash on the shore, fighting the urge to blurt out a statement he had been holding in since they left the cabin.

"When I run, sometimes I forget about my mother."

…_Well, damn. _

Ichigo Kurosaki never had been one to filter his speech.

If Rukia was fazed by the abruptness of his confession, she certainly didn't show it. He almost wondered if she hadn't heard him but then she answered slowly, "Sometimes I forget all my brother's expectations."

Unsure how to respond, Ichigo stayed quiet. This was probably for the best, he figured, as his mouth had only gotten him into trouble so far.

Was this the part where she started tearing up and pouring out her heart to him? He knew from experience that this was a common female activity but he had never told those girls anything in return. He had certainly never been the one to start the sappy confessions.

Fortunately, Rukia didn't look like she wanted to cry. She seemed thoughtful, but not about to tell him her life story.

Deciding they should probably get moving before Ichigo shouted out some other embarrassing fact, he stood up awkwardly, offering her his hand.

**-Rukia-**

_I wonder if he knows about my parents…_

The man beside her got up suddenly and startled Rukia from her thoughts. She decided against continuing the conversation.

Ichigo held out his hand to help her up and she accepted. His hand was warm and large around hers; his grip was firm but he let go as soon as she was on her feet. Rukia found herself wishing he had held on longer but she caught herself.

_His hands are all sandy and calloused. Don't be ridiculous, Rukia. _

Ichigo had already started walking without her. He looked over his shoulder, a tenderness barely lingering in his amber eyes.

"Coming, Kuchiki?"

Feeling their usual dynamic return, Rukia rolled her eyes and kicked him in the leg as she caught up. The run must have relieved her hangover because she found that she felt much better as they started jogging back to the cabin. Her body felt lighter and her heart beat in an unusual fluttery pattern.

"Just try to keep up, Kurosaki."

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Reviews would be lovely if you have the time.


	10. Uncertainty and an Apology

Halfway done!

Well, more or less :) Enjoy!

* * *

_You paint me into the memory of all your pain  
__But I will not be drawn into the past again._

_ 'Cause all of this is all that I can take_  
_ And you could never understand the demons that I face._

_ It's not a question of who is wrong and what is right_  
_ But time can not heal what you will never recognize._

**Just a Little Girl - Trading Yesterday**_  
_

* * *

**Chapter 10: Uncertainty and an Apology**

**-Rukia- **

When the pair arrived back at the deck of the beach house after their run, Ichigo took advantage of his longer stride and climbed the three stairs to the deck in one step, pulling in front of Rukia at the last minute.

"I guess that means I won." A triumphant grin formed on the boy's face.

"We weren't even racing, you cheater." Rukia rolled her eyes and tried to step around him to go back inside, ignoring the small thought in the back of her mind that screamed he was flirting with her.

"You're just a sore loser." Ichigo placed himself in front of the door and put a hand on the top of her head.

Rukia felt her face grow hot at their closeness and she was thankful she could pass it off on the exercise. She watched him draw his hand back to his chest, comparing her height to his.

"I guess I'd be bitter too if I was half the height of a normal person." He chuckled. Rukia frowned, about to punch the stupid carrot top in his stupid face, but then the door opened behind him.

"Oh, what's this! Am I interrupting something?" A melodious voice spoke out from the door and Rukia felt her heart drop, surprisingly annoyed at her old friend's unannounced intrusion.

"Hey, Matsumoto." Rukia forced a smile. "You're not interrupting anything; we just got back from a jog."

The strawberry blonde giggled and wrinkled her nose. "Certainly smells like it."

"Yeah, well…" Rukia tried to find an appropriate response to her friend's bluntness.

"So this is the boyfriend?" Matsumoto had one eyebrow raised, studying Ichigo with obvious interest. He squirmed under the girl's intense gaze and looked at Rukia for reprieve.

"He's not my boyfriend. I- Wait. How did you even get in? I thought I locked the door." Rukia sputtered.

"Your large tan friend let me in. He's cute too but I'm not much for the strong and silent type." Matsumoto grinned suggestively at Ichigo. "I'm more into the bad boys."

"Like Grimmjow?" Rukia cut in.

A pained expression crossed Matsumoto's face. "I'm really sorry about that, Ru. I don't know what he was thinking. He said he was really sorry. We're not even speaking anymore."

She seemed sincere and Rukia sighed, realizing she couldn't stay mad at her old friend for long.

"It's fine. I'm not upset with you."

Ichigo made what sounded like an annoyed noise beside her. "Excuse me. I'm going to take a shower."

Matsumoto quickly stepped aside to let him pass, giving Rukia a confused look.

"What's his problem?"

"Don't worry about it. He's just naturally an inconsiderate jerk." Rukia shrugged, trying not to care if she had done something to upset him.

Matsumoto recovered quickly and took Rukia's hands into her own. "Can we go inside and talk? I want to throw another party to make up for last night."

"You're forgiven, really. I don't think another party is the solution." Rukia tried to reason with her friend as she was pulled inside.

"Oh, please, Rukia! Just go wake your other friends up and see what they think." Matsumoto sat down in a chair in the main living room and looked up at her expectantly.

Rukia ran a hand through her hair and considered her options. She finally decided to give in and went to retrieve the three teens that seemed to still be asleep.

**-Ichigo-**

"What does she mean _'it's fine'_?" Ichigo kicked off his running shoes so that they hit the bedroom wall with force. He angrily pulled off his shorts and threw them against the wall as well, still muttering curses.

A knock on his door diverted his attention and he wrapped a towel around his waist before answering.

"What?" Ichigo answered grumpily.

Uryuu, still groggy and clad in boxers and a tank top, winced at the harsh tone. "Take it easy. I was just going to ask you to keep it down."

"Sorry," Ichigo mumbled.

"Is everything ok?"

"Yeah, just great." He grabbed his clothes for the day and shrugged. "I'm going to take a shower."

He heard Uryuu mutter something sarcastic behind him but he didn't bother turning around. Once inside the bathroom, he turned on the water and stepped into the shower.

The image of that Grimmjow guy kept appearing when Ichigo closed his eyes and he wished that he had beaten him senseless when he had the chance.

_And Rukia! How can she forgive him just like that? Doesn't she realize what would've happened?_

Without thinking, Ichigo opened his eyes in an attempt to clear his head. Shampoo slid down his forehead, stinging his eyes.

"Fuck!"

He held his face under the stream of water, trying to rinse his eyes. By the time he had finished getting the shampoo out of his eyes and hair, Ichigo was in an even worse mood than before.

There was a knock on the door and Ichigo, in the middle of brushing his teeth, threw the door open. He was about to yell at Uryuu for bothering him again when he realized that the person on the other side of the door was not, in fact, Uryuu.

"Hey…" Rukia had a surprised look on her face but stood her ground. "Um, everyone's downstairs if you want to come down. When you're done here, of course."

Suddenly very aware of his toothpaste-filled mouth and wet body covered only by a loose towel, Ichigo felt his face grow warm and he nodded.

His words were muffled but Rukia seemed to get the idea and she quickly made her exit.

Feeling rather deflated, Ichigo took his time putting his clothes on and tried to force that stupid blush off his face.

**-Rukia-**

… _Oh my._

Rukia took a moment to regain her composure before returning to the living room where everyone had gathered.

Matsumoto was already explaining her plan for another party tomorrow night and, so far, the group seemed to be going along with the idea.

"And only people I know personally will be invited. It'll be totally safe." Matsumoto smiled at Rukia as she sat down.

"Grimmjow seemed to know you pretty well." Rukia reminded her friend.

"I trusted him to host while I ran to the store for more drinks but I didn't know he was like that. We were together for a while but we're over, I promise." The strawberry blonde's answer was vague but Rukia understood her friend's brusque tone and immediately felt guilty.

Grimmjow was the new boyfriend that Matsumoto had wanted Rukia to meet at the party.

_And that would explain why I never saw her last night…_

"So we're just supposed to trust you on this?"

Rukia heard Ichigo's voice behind her and she turned. His arms were crossed and he was leaning against the wall, looking skeptical.

"Ichigo!" Tatsuki scolded. "Don't be so rude."

Matsumoto didn't seem fazed by his cold tone. Instead, Rukia watched her grin and giggle flirtatiously.

"You can trust me. Rukia's my friend; I have her best interests at heart." She leaned forward slightly, exposing her cleavage. "You're being awfully possessive, you know? Maybe you'll just have to stay by her side all night and protect her."

"I'm not being possessive! I just-"

_Oh, God…_

"I think I can manage myself, thank you." Rukia interrupted. She stood up and looked at Matsumoto. "Maybe you should go now."

"It was nice meeting you!" Orihime called after the girls as they left the living room.

"Well, that was subtle." Rukia commented dryly as she opened the door for her friend.

Matsumoto chuckled sweetly. "Oh, come on, he's totally in love with you. He just doesn't know it yet."

"He is not. Believe me. He is not interested at all." Rukia responded stubbornly.

"And you're not into him at all either, right?" She raised one eyebrow and smiled to show that she already knew the answer.

"Oh, stop. You know it's not like that."

"I'm just saying to keep an open mind." Matsumoto giggled, "You never know what could happen!"

"Nothing is going to happen!" Rukia retorted as her friend rolled her eyes and started walking to her car.

"See you tomorrow!"

Rukia waved and closed the door as Matsumoto drove away.

Turning around, she leaned backwards into the door and watched her friends get up and move on to other activities. Tatsuki was heading back to her room to sleep while Orihime asked Uryuu a question about a new book he was reading. She saw Chad preparing something in the kitchen and Ichigo was walking towards the stairs.

She thought about what Matsumoto said and watched him as he passed her.

"What?" Ichigo snapped defensively.

Rukia put her hands up innocently. "Nothing, jeez."

"Whatever." He went upstairs and Rukia heard his door close forcefully.

_Somebody's moody, _Rukia thought to herself. _There's really no way Matsumoto could be right._

_Ichigo Kurosaki is just another wannabe bad boy who thinks it's cool to hook up with girls and break their heart. He could never be genuinely interested in a girl like me._

…_Right?_

* * *

Yay for Rangiku! Maybe she'll get these two together properly ;)

Reviews would be wonderful; I'd to hear your thoughts and ideas!


	11. Surprise Feelings

Yay for surprise updates! :) I'll be out of town for a few days so this chapter is a bit early. I hope you all don't mind!

* * *

It's not me, it's not you.  
There's a reason  
I'm just trying to read the signals I'm receiving.

Let me take you higher,  
Let me prove it.

'Cause hey, hey, pretty girl,  
I believe it.

**Another World - One Direction  
**

* * *

**Chapter 11: Surprise Feelings**

**-Rukia-**

"Rukia! Everyone's going swimming; want to come?" Tatsuki called up the stairs, breaking Rukia's concentration on her newest picture in her sketchbook of a happy bunny walking around the huge Churaumi Aquarium. She had spent the last few hours in her room, trying to figure out her feelings towards the idiot she currently called a housemate and trying to forget about him all at the same time.

_Maybe some relaxation on the beach is what I need._

"Coming!" Rukia called. She donned a new swimsuit, a bright purple bikini that her maid had insisted was very high fashion in France, and stuffed her sketchbook and a towel in a tote.

Stepping on to the hot sand, Rukia quickly scanned the scene in front of her. The boys had set up a high volleyball net and the girls were working on arranging towels and umbrellas off to the side.

Rukia pulled her towel out and added it to the assortment.

"Now we have a perfect square! Good thinking, Rukia!" Orihime beamed and Rukia, pleased that she had made her new friend happy, didn't bother mentioning that the shape was actually a rectangle.

"Are you girls ready to play?" Uryuu had a volleyball under his arm and Rukia felt her stomach twist.

"I thought we were swimming." Rukia looked over to Tatsuki who was already making a show of stretching her toned arms.

"The guys wanted to play volleyball first. You know how to play, right?"

"Umm," Rukia tried to remember the rules they learned in gym class, "It's been a while."

Tatsuki laughed. "If Uryuu can play, you can. Don't worry; you can be on Chad and Ichigo's team."

_How lovely…_

They separated into their respective teams and Rukia tried to take a position towards the back out of the way.

Chad noticed her uncertainty and gestured towards the front right corner. "The top is actually easier. Just let Ichigo get the fast ones."

Rukia felt relieved when she noticed Orihime across from her. Surely the peaceful redhead couldn't deliver anything too difficult.

"Ready?" Uryuu looked around before lobbing the ball upwards and serving it easily over the tall net.

Chad had no trouble passing it up to Ichigo who spiked it over the net. Tatsuki managed to save it though and Chad passed it to Ichigo again, this time resulting in a point.

_Maybe this won't be so bad after all…_

If Chad and Ichigo could keep up their system, Rukia wouldn't have to touch the ball and they might just win.

"Got it!" Orihime called, stepping out of bounds to try to save a rogue pass from Uryuu. Before the ball landed, she managed to knock it over the net directly to Rukia.

Desperately trying not to humiliate herself, Rukia locked her arms and prepared to bounce the ball right back to the other team. Unfortunately, the ball somehow landed on her elbows and flew sideways instead of forwards.

Ichigo moved quickly, getting a fist under the ball and popping it higher in the air so that Chad was able to run up and slam it into the sand on the other side.

The two boys exchanged high-fives and Ichigo grinned at Rukia teasingly. "I didn't realize we had such a skilled player in our midst."

Rukia stuck her tongue out. "Shut up. They're about to serve."

**-Ichigo-**

_So she looks kinda cute trying to play volleyball in her little swim suit. Doesn't make her any less annoying or- _

Ichigo dove to save the bad pass from Rukia, popping it higher in the air for Chad to spike.

"I didn't realize we had such a skilled player in our midst."

_Damn, did she have to do that with her tongue?_

"Shut up. They're about to serve."

Ichigo rolled his eyes and effortlessly sent the ball back over the net, proving that Ichigo Kurosaki does not need to _focus_ to play a simple game of beach volleyball.

And then, Rukia bent over to retrieve a low pass from Uryuu.

_Maybe more focus would be a good idea after all._

**-Rukia-**

_Is he staring at me? Am I really that bad?_

Rukia wasn't at Tatsuki's skill level, or even Uryuu's for that matter, but still, she was playing decently. After that first bad pass, most of her attempts had at least gone over the net.

_Maybe if the damn thing wasn't so freaking high…_

Rukia shook the distracting thoughts from her head and hit another ball to Orihime who, with surprising athleticism, passed it to Tatsuki.

The game went on for a while longer until Tatsuki claimed it was over. She said Chad, Ichigo, and Rukia won by 3 points but Rukia had lost track after the first few rounds.

"Let's go swimming!" Orihime took Rukia's hand into her own and pulled her towards the water. Happy to be away from the volleyball setup, Rukia followed the girl into the greenish blue.

**-Ichigo- **

"Rukia looks nice, huh?" Uryuu commented slyly as they were taking down the volleyball net.

"I guess. Kinda skinny if you ask me." Ichigo shrugged, refusing to give his friend the satisfaction of being right.

Chad had already put the two poles back in their bag and was now in the water with the girls, staying a good few feet away from the splash fight that had erupted.

Ichigo watched his friend, envious of his ability to feel so at ease when Ichigo himself got flustered at the sight of a midget-sized girl in a swimsuit.

_Since when do girls in bikinis bother me? If anything, it should be Orihime I'm staring at; Rukia's not even attractive._

"You coming?" Uryuu had stuffed the net in the bag as well and was heading towards the others.

"Yeah." Ichigo told himself to stop thinking such weird thoughts but as he entered the water, and suddenly became another target in the splash fight, he found his eyes continuing to wander towards the petite raven-haired girl.

Her movements had a certain elegance to them. He liked the way her eyes seemed to sparkle when she was excited and her dark hair shined in the sun.

And then she splashed him. In the face.

And that, according to the official splash fight rules, was considered cheating.

He moved before his mind could realize what he was doing and tell him to stop. Scooping the small girl up in his arms bridal style, he lifted her above his head and tossed her into the air, letting her fall back into the water a few yards away.

She made a larger splash than he expected and for a moment, he was worried he had gone too far. He looked at Tatsuki for the usual reproach but she was speechless.

_Oh, shit…_

But before he could move to go after her, she surfaced. Her hair was plastered against her head, dark bangs covering her eyes, and Ichigo wasn't sure if she was horrified or furious.

Then, Rukia Kuchiki did something that surprised everyone. She pulled the hair away from her face and laughed.

Ichigo let out the breath that he hadn't realized he was holding in and relished in the sweetest sound he had ever heard.

"Are you ok, Rukia?" Orihime was the first to recover from the shock.

Rukia nodded, still overcome with laughter, and Ichigo found himself laughing too. He had been surprised at how genuinely scared he was that he might have hurt this girl but now, there she was, dripping wet and laughing her throaty laugh because of something he had done.

Ichigo Kurosaki just made Rukia Kuchiki laugh harder than he had ever seen her laugh before.

And for some reason, this made Ichigo happier than he could explain.

* * *

I did love writing this chapter but honestly, the next chapter is another one of my favorite favorites; you should be looking forward to it ;)

Please review!


	12. Flirting 101

Sorry for the long wait! I hope this makes up for it ;)

* * *

_Low-cut, see-through shirts that make ya *whistles,*  
That's the way she come through, like *whistles.*_

_I think I should know how to make love to something innocent_  
_without leaving my fingerprints._

_L-o-v-e's just another word I never learned to pronounce._

**Starstrukk - 3OH!3**

* * *

**Chapter 12: Flirting 101**

**-Rukia- **

After swimming, Chad suggested that the group have dinner and a bonfire. The girls went inside to dry off and collect the things for dinner while the boys set up the grill outside.

"Hey, Rukia. Come here for a sec."

Rukia looked up from the bag she was filling with napkins and paper plates to see Tatsuki holding an old white shirt in her hands.

"You really want to get Ichigo's attention? Try this." The tomboy smiled and held out the shirt.

"But I already have my dress on. I don't need a shirt." Rukia gestured to the plain yellow sun dress covering her swimsuit.

For some reason, this made Tatsuki laugh. "Just trust me, ok?"

She left the white top on the counter, grabbed a bag of marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers and headed back outside to the deck.

After Tatsuki left, Rukia picked up the shirt and examined it.

_What's so special about this?_

It felt soft and looked clean enough so Rukia ran back up to her room to slip off her dress and pull the shirt down over her head. She looked at herself in the mirror in her bathroom.

The shirt ended just above her thighs because Tatsuki was so much taller but, surprisingly, it still fit snugly, accentuating her hips and small chest.

_So that's what she meant…_

Thankfully, the material was too thick to be completely transparent but it clung to her curves and her bright purple swimsuit was still visible, making Rukia feel slightly exposed. She spent a few minutes brushing the knots out of her hair from swimming and finally decided just to trust Tatsuki.

She had just finished collecting all the snacks and utensils when Orihime came out of the girls' room. She was wearing short khaki shorts and a dark green tank top, revealing a large amount of cleavage.

Her orange hair was tied back in a long braid and she took one of the bags from Rukia. As they walked out together, she giggled.

"I see Tatsuki talked to you too. She convinced me to wear this thing because she thinks it'll get Uryuu's attention but I only like it because he said the green makes my eyes look brighter."

They started setting out the plates and Orihime continued, "Well, actually, he said that green and red are contrasting colors and so they complement each other but I figured since my eyes are kind of amber, it's close enough."

The redhead paused to look at Rukia. "Do you think this shirt makes my eyes look brighter?"

"I think your eyes are naturally bright. But the shirt is also very nice." Rukia said obligingly, still slightly uncomfortable in her own outfit.

Her answer pleased the other girl though and she started to busy herself with organizing the variety of food items. Chad and Uryuu were still occupied with the grill and Tatsuki had pulled Ichigo away to help her pile up the wood on the beach for the bonfire.

Left with nothing to do, Rukia sat down at the end of the table and pulled out her sketchbook, adding a couple new fish to her aquarium sketch. She especially liked the otter exhibit so she drew another tank on one side of the girl bunny and drew in some otters swimming and playing.

In the middle of sketching one jumping in the air, Chad announced that the food was done. Hungry from the long day, Rukia set her notebook on the table and eagerly got up to fill her plate.

**-Ichigo-**

"The food's ready!" Chad called to Ichigo and Tatsuki. Satisfied with the collection of branches around the large log Uryuu found earlier, they left the pile and went to eat. Ichigo grabbed a drink first and sat down to wait for the crowd around the grill to disperse.

A brown notebook at the end of the table caught his eye and he reached over to pick it up.

_What's this?_

The marked page had an awful drawing of what looked like fish but Ichigo couldn't be completely sure. He turned back through the recent pages, stopping at an oddly familiar scene.

This picture had some small animals eating on a porch with a long table and a beach in the background. The longer he studied the picture, the more the animals resembled the people around him. One had thick eyelashes and long orange hair and another had darker hair and glasses. The one Ichigo assumed was Chad was much taller than the others and had curly hair.

Then, Ichigo frowned.

_Why are these two holding hands?_

Two blobs, one with black hair and one with orange hair, at the end of the table were sitting closer than any of the others and appeared to be holding hands.

"What are you doing?"

The shrill tone startled Ichigo and he almost dropped the sketchbook.

"Put that down!" Rukia's voice was louder now and she reached to grab the book from his hands.

"Take it easy; I was just looking," Ichigo replied and let her snatch it back.

"Didn't your father ever teach you not to touch things that aren't yours?" The girl snapped, sitting down across from him.

Even in her anger, Ichigo noticed her care to say father instead of mother. Refusing to admit that her thoughtfulness had any effect on him, he retorted, "Didn't your parents ever teach you manners?"

Rukia stiffened and focused intently on her plate. Ichigo felt a heavy silence among his friends and he realized that they all knew something he didn't.

"My parents died when I was young. However, my brother raised me to have impeccable etiquette," she responded curtly.

"Oh..."

Ichigo looked around accusingly at the others now sitting at the table. _Why didn't anyone tell me this!_

Surprisingly, it was Rukia who relieved the tension. "Please, don't feel bad. There was no way you could have known. Would you pass me the fruit dish?"

Still unable to find an appropriate thing to say, Ichigo handed her the bowl dumbly and said nothing.

"This hamburger is great, Chad!" Orihime exclaimed between large bites. "How do you make it taste so unique?"

The group observed the collection of strange condiments on her burger: ketchup, cheese, chocolate, and a slice of watermelon but Chad just smiled.

"You're eating a veggie-burger. That's probably why it tastes different."

The girl's eyes lit up and she nodded in agreement, her mouth too full to speak.

Tatsuki finished the last bite of her hot dog and stood up. "I'll start the fire for s'mores."

"I'll help you find the lighter." Rukia got up abruptly and followed Tatsuki onto the beach.

When she left, Ichigo let his head fall into his hands and groaned.

_Could I have been anymore goddamn insensitive?_

"I'm sorry we didn't say anything, Ichigo." Orihime apologized quietly.

"Why didn't you guys tell me before?" He looked up irritably.

"We thought you knew!" Uryuu responded as if it were obvious. "Everyone at Karakura knows! That's why she lives with her brother and is the only heir to the family company!"

Ichigo glared at his friend. "Well, I guess I never got the memo. Anything else I should know? Now would be a good time to tell me."

Uryuu adjusted his glasses. "No need to get angry. She forgave you. Just forget about it."

"We should go. They started the fire." Chad got up and Ichigo stood up grudgingly after him.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. She'll come around." The tall boy spoke quietly before they sat down around the fire.

Ichigo wanted to ask him what he should do but Chad had already taken a seat on the other side of Rukia. Her wet hair stuck to her neck and she looked much smaller and exposed now in her thin t-shirt.

_Why can't she just wear normal clothes like a normal person?_

Refusing to let his eyes wander up and down her slender frame, Ichigo sat down next to the quiet girl hesitantly, but she didn't acknowledge him. Instead, she stared blankly into the flames, the orange reflecting brightly in her dark eyes.

_How on earth am I supposed to fix this?_

**-Rukia-**

_"Didn't your parents ever teach you manners?"_

Rukia Kuchiki had plenty of manners, god damn it. She was certainly more polite than the orange-haired ignoramus that had dared to sit down next to her after so blatantly insulting her.

In a word, Rukia was infuriated.

"Want a marshmallow?" Chad handed her a plastic bag of the white fluffy treats.

"Thank you." She accepted and pulled one out for herself before tossing the bag on the ground beside the boy sitting on her other side.

"Thanks." He mumbled quietly as he picked the bag up.

_Whatever. Stupid jerk didn't even notice the stupid shirt. I'm half-naked for nothing._

Orihime and Tatsuki were taking turns telling jokes and every now and then Ichigo would look at her out of the corner of his eye but Rukia pretended that she didn't notice.

Instead, she focused on roasting her marshmallow to perfection, finding that the s'mores tasted exactly the same as when she was young.

After Uryuu attempted a funny story and it fell flat, Chad went inside to get his guitar. When he returned, he started playing a cheerful song. Orihime picked up the melody easily and began to sing along.

Rukia giggled when the redhead managed to get Tatsuki and Uryuu singing beside her. As she didn't know the words, Rukia was content to smile with her friends as they sang and laughed at each other's antics.

Chad changed to another popular song by Eyeshine and Orihime pulled Tatsuki up to dance with her. Rukia politely declined when Orihime came over to ask her as well.

"And I feel like a shooting star that's gone too far from you tonight," Chad sang in a deep, clear voice.

"You're not singing." Ichigo commented, glancing at her sidelong. It wasn't until he stopped that she realized his low voice had been singing quietly all along and it had actually sounded decent.

"I don't know the words." She responded simply and tried to appear too engrossed with making another s'more to continue the conversation.

"I liked your picture. It's the Churaumi Aquarium, right?" He spoke slowly, obviously unsure about his guess.

Rukia took her time examining her toasted marshmallow before answering. "My parents used to take me and my brother every year."

The boy beside her fell silent and watched his friends singing across the fire as she finished eating her gooey treat.

He started singing again after a moment and Rukia decided to join in quietly when the familiar chorus came, "I feel right when I'm by your side, when I'm by your side tonight. After all, you're a waterfall crashing down."

Chad looked over when he heard the extra female voice and smiled encouragingly. Rukia sang a little louder but leaned back on her hands to avoid being noticed by anyone else.

The chorus repeated again at the end of the song and this time, everyone sang significantly louder. Rukia laughed when Orihime talked Uryuu into trying an unusual dance move.

A slight pressure on her hand caught her attention. The boy sitting beside her appeared focused on the silliness occurring in front of them but his face was tinged slightly pink and he had stopped singing. Rukia blushed and looked away, unsure of what to do.

_What is he doing? What am I supposed to do now?_

Almost as if he had read her thoughts, Ichigo carefully laced his fingers in with hers, still not looking anywhere near her. He sang along when Chad started the next song as if nothing had happened and Rukia let her fingers tighten around his, accepting his unspoken apology.

Orihime and Uryuu had become focused on only each other, leaving Tatsuki to take a seat again, smiling good-naturedly. When the athletic girl noticed the subtle contact between two of her other friends, she looked excitedly at Rukia.

Rukia smiled back and Tatsuki leaned on one arm, letting her head rest on her shoulder. Rukia frowned in confusion but when Tatsuki looked at Ichigo she understood.

_Oh, no, I could never…_

The silent communication between the two girls finally caught Ichigo's attention. Rukia avoided his eyes and Tatsuki just grinned and looked away to ask Chad to play a different song.

This one was slower and, after realizing that everyone had been watching them, Orihime and Uryuu sat down. The fire was dying out and Rukia could now see Orihime's bright smile as the dark-haired boy pointed out something in the sky. She watched as the girl leaned back on the sand, letting her head rest on Uryuu's lap so she could better see the sky.

Tatsuki looked at Rukia and then at Orihime, obviously suggesting she do something similar. Rukia thought for a moment, listening to Chad's guitar and the soft voice beside her, pretending to look for the constellations Uryuu was pointing out.

But then, the fire died out completely and the group was covered in darkness. She felt Ichigo get up, letting go of her hand so he wouldn't pull on her, and immediately regretted not taking Tatsuki's advice.

"Well, I guess I'm going to bed." Tatsuki's voice sounded a few feet away. There were some murmurs of agreement and Rukia helped gather the leftover food.

She didn't see Ichigo again until everyone was back inside but he was already heading up the stairs with Uryuu.

Orihime came up behind her once everything was put away. "Did you see Uryuu dance with me? Maybe he really does like me!"

Still slightly distracted, Rukia giggled with the pretty redhead. "I'm sure he does! I've never seen him so eager to make a fool of himself in front of anyone."

"I hope so," Orihime smiled at the memory before adding, "And Tatsuki said you and Ichigo were getting pretty close. I think he's actually starting to have feelings for you!"

This made Rukia blush again. "He probably just feels guilty about what he said about my parents. I don't know if-"

"Oh, stop it," Orihime interrupted playfully. "Just wait until tomorrow night! I bet he won't let you out of his sight."

Rukia smiled at the other girl's certainty. "I guess we'll just have to see."

"I'm sure we will. Don't even worry about it." The redhead yawned. "Night, Rukia!"

"Good night!" Rukia replied, turning to head up the stairs.

After she brushed her teeth and changed, Rukia climbed into bed and flipped through her sketchbook. She stopped at the picture with everyone eating on the porch and smiled.

So he held her hand while everyone was around the fire instead of on the porch.

_Close enough._

* * *

Finally some IchiRuki fluff! I know you all were waiting for it ;) And there's more to come!_  
_

Reviews to make me smile?


	13. Second Chances

Hello! I thought about writing another chapter to go between this one and the last one but then I was like, this one will be so much cuter!

So if it feels choppy or disjointed, don't stress because nothing very exciting happened between the scenes anyway.

* * *

_Get a little closer to me, girl,_  
_And you'll understand._  
_'Cause if you want a guy that knows what you need,_  
_Well, then I'm your man._

_Everything you know I'm flipping upside down._

**You Make Me Feel... ****(feat. Sabi) - Cobra Starship**

* * *

**Chapter 13: Second Chances**

**-Ichigo-**

"Actually, can you put these back inside? I don't want them getting too hot out here in the sun." Matsumoto pointed to a large collection of drinks so that Ichigo could move them for the third time that afternoon.

"Whatever you say." Ichigo rolled his eyes and carried the drinks into the kitchen, setting them on a table. The task took him two trips to complete.

The group was currently helping Matsumoto set up for the party that night, along with a few of her other friends.

Ichigo scanned the room for the strawberry blonde, hoping to evade being asked to carry something else. Chad and Uryuu were still bringing more food items and drinks from the girls' cars and Tatsuki and Orihime had already started chatting up some of Matsumoto's strange friends on the deck in the far corner away from the house.

_What weirdos…_

Ichigo recognized the man with crazy red hair from the last party but this time he was joined by an incredibly short boy with white hair and a sweet looking brunette girl that clung to the boy's arm. He supposed they were dating but their difference in height made it difficult to believe.

Ichigo finally found Rukia talking with Matsumoto and some guy in the living room. The guy had light hair and squinty eyes that made Ichigo uncomfortable. Going against his better judgment that told him to avoid Rukia's annoying friend, he made his way over to the trio.

The shifty-looking man was the first to acknowledge his presence as he entered the small group.

"Hello."

The single word stopped the two girls mid-conversation and they both turned to look at Ichigo.

"Hey," Ichigo responded coolly.

Matsumoto smiled, wrapping an arm around the man's waist. "Ichigo, this is Gin. We started dating that night when you and Grimmjow got into the fight."

"You move awfully fast," Ichigo commented under his breath, nodding at the man in front of him.

"Be nice," Rukia whispered scathingly, forcing her sharp elbow between his ribs.

"Ow!" Ichigo turned to yell at the midget beside him but Gin put a hand out to stop him.

"Please, compose yourself. Rangiku and I have known each other for a long time and the fault of your incident was entirely your own, not hers. I hope you'll be more cordial towards her in the future."

The man's tone was warning, not quite threatening, and it was clear he cared deeply about Matsumoto.

_I can't imagine why…_

"I hope you can forgive my friend's rudeness. He's not usually this moody." Rukia smiled brightly, annoying Ichigo to no end.

He was certainly not _'moody.'_

"Don't worry about it!" The bubbly girl laughed. "I'm just glad to see he's keeping his promise from yesterday."

Ichigo frowned. "What promise?"

Matsumoto's grey eyes glinted, "The party hasn't even started and already you're paranoid about Rukia talking to another guy."

Ichigo felt his face get red. "That is not why I came over here."

Gin looked at Rukia curiously, "Are you in a relationship with this boy?"

Rukia blushed furiously. "No. We're just friends; we all came out here as friends," she stuttered.

Gin's nod of apparent approval bothered Ichigo but Matsumoto lead him away before he could say anything.

"What was that about?" Rukia turned on him once the other two were out of earshot.

"She started it!" Ichigo protested. "I wasn't even-"

"You're acting like a child." Rukia interrupted, crossing her arms over her chest.

Ichigo sighed in defeat but Rukia refused to look at him, choosing to pout in silence. He put a hand on her shoulder to get her attention but she jumped at his touch.

She blushed and walked away quickly, mumbling something about finishing setting up.

Ichigo ran a hand through his hair and watched her leave the room.

_I thought she had forgiven me already…_

**-Rukia-**

Rukia quickly made her exit, thoroughly embarrassed by her reaction.

This was the first time they had spoken to each other all day and it hadn't quite gone as Rukia had planned.

The girls had gone shopping that morning for the party while the boys went to the local gym and did 'boy things,' as Tatsuki called them. While trying on different clothes for the party, the other girls had managed to convince Rukia that it was entirely possible that Ichigo had feelings for her.

They had even said it was likely but Rukia refused to allow them to get her hopes up.

The only problem now was that Rukia Kuchiki was generally clueless when it came to dating and relationships.

In fact, the idea of a boy, especially Ichigo Kurosaki, wanting to go out with her was almost terrifying.

Rukia focused on arranging chip bowls on the table to calm her racing heart.

_Ok… Completely terrifying._

Where on earth were Tatsuki and Orihime when she needed them?

**-Ichigo- **

More people had arrived in the past few hours and Ichigo found himself experiencing déjà vu as the same people from two nights ago filled the house.

_So much for 'totally safe'…_

In order to prove a point, Ichigo had taken to keeping an eye on Rukia from a distance. He wasn't sure why she had reacted the way she had earlier but until she seemed ready to talk again, he decided to hang back.

Besides, he was _not_ possessive.

**-Rukia-**

Rukia laughed politely as one of the guys in the group she was talking to tried to be funny. She had noticed Ichigo watching her from across the room but he had yet to say anything about her choice of company. This was unfortunate, as her choice of company had ultimately been poor.

The guys sitting around her began vying for her attention once again and Rukia found herself slightly bored with the lame stories and crude humor.

So, when Orihime and Tatsuki asked her to dance with them, she obliged.

They had picked out a loose dark purple tank top and a pair of black shorts for her earlier that day and Rukia loved the way the tank swirled around her waist as she moved with the beat. She grew more and more comfortable dancing to the loud music, not shying away when the people around her brushed against her.

After a few songs, a man with dark hair and silver eyes came up to her. He took her hand and twirled her around.

"I'm Ashido," he shouted over the music. "Wanna dance?"

Rukia looked around for Tatsuki or Orihime, hoping they would tell her what to do, but Orihime had started dancing with Uryuu and Tatsuki was dancing against a tall, muscular man with red hair.

…_Is that-?_

"Hey," Ashido still held Rukia's hand in his own and now pulled her towards him. "I asked if you wanted to dance."

His breath smelled like alcohol and Rukia immediately resisted. She kicked him in the shin and he let go, cursing loudly. Rukia left him on the dance floor, moving away before he grabbed at her again.

She entered the kitchen area and grabbed a bottle of water to stop her hands from shaking. She took a long sip and her breathing slowed and her heart stopped racing.

_At least this is better than last time…_

"Everything ok?"

Rukia turned at the sound of Ichigo's voice behind her.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She met his gaze evenly, trying valiantly not to let her cheeks tinge red.

A small smile formed on his lips. "Just checking. We don't want a repeat of Monday night."

Rukia's eyes narrowed in irritation. "I can handle myself, thank you."

She finished her water and went to throw it away.

"Hey, I'm sorry…" Ichigo followed after her. "Rukia, wait."

Rukia paused and looked at the boy in front of her expectantly.

**-Ichigo-**

_Well, it's now or never…_

"Do you… I mean, would you…" Ichigo stammered before forcing himself to say, "Would you like to go to the aquarium tomorrow?"

When she didn't respond, he added, "The one in your picture?"

Rukia took a long time to answer and each second felt like eternity to Ichigo.

Finally, after looking everywhere but at him, she regarded him with guarded eyes and asked, "Like a date?"

"Yeah." Ichigo's face grew warm under the girl's stare, "Unless you don't want to, of course."

Rukia's expression changed to an openly excited smile and looked up at him through dark lashes, "I'd like that."

Her cheeks were a rosy color and Ichigo swore his heart stopped beating when she answered.

Finally remembering to breathe, he nodded. "Ok, good. I was thinking we'd go around 3 for the otter show?"

After a long contemplation the night before, Ichigo decided that the blobs jumping out of the tank had been otters. It had been easy to convince Uryuu to drive by the aquarium that morning during their errands to see when the otters performed.

The look of childish eagerness on Rukia's face made Ichigo confident that the trip had been worth it.

"I didn't know they had an otter show now." Rukia smiled, almost unable to contain her obvious delight.

And Ichigo smiled with her, this girl that was so unlike any other girl he knew.

**-Rukia-**

After a long moment of squealing inside her head, Rukia managed to look at the man in front of her and smile.

Ichigo was taking her to the Churaumi Aquarium! On a date! With otters!

Rukia breathed deeply, trying to calm herself before he thought better of it and changed his mind.

"I-I'm looking forward to it."

Ichigo grinned at her, making her blush even harder. "Me too."

Unsure of what to say next, Rukia stayed quiet. She looked around the room, waiting for Ichigo to say something else, feeling fully the awkwardness that comes after being asked out on one's first date.

"Do you want to dance?"

…_did I just say that?_

The large group of people dancing in the living room and on the porch had caught her eye once again. But she had never meant to voice her thoughts.

Ichigo looked over at the crowd uncertainly.

"I don't really dance," he said finally.

"Oh," Rukia tried not to appear disappointed. "Of course. I understand."

**-Ichigo- **

_Why does she have to be so damn cute all the time?_

Disappointment was obvious in her eyes and Ichigo felt a small twinge of guilt in his stomach.

"I guess… I guess I could try." He said slowly, as if the words were painful. But then Rukia smiled up at him and wrapped her hand around his, pulling him towards the flailing swarm of bodies before he could change his mind.

* * *

So. Much. Fluff. It's craziness. And even more next chapter!

Reviews please!


	14. Chapter 14

Hello again! I hope you're all enjoying your summers; I know I am. :) I just my new computer for school and it works like a dream! Maybe I'll finally update on time ;)

* * *

_Girl, I gotta know  
how you dance like that, dance like that,  
you dance like that  
'cause you're putting on a show._

_If you wanna **** me, I won't say no._

**Touchin' On My - 3OH!3**

* * *

**Chapter 14: On Misunderstandings and the Opposite of Misunderstandings  
**(This title was too long to fit in the drop down chapter list haha :)

**-Ichigo- **

For someone who was supposedly completely innocent, Rukia was a surprisingly good dancer.

Ichigo had protested initially, asking, "how can you enjoy all these people touching you?" and "how can you call this dancing? This is the most pathetic excuse for dancing I've ever seen."

But, after a few songs, he fell victim to the pounding bass and the hypnotic pair of hips rocking against him. Ichigo had no idea how long they stayed like that, in the middle of the dance floor, moving with the rhythm yet still maintaining contact with each other as much as possible.

Rukia's hair smelled amazing. Ichigo lost himself, savoring the feeling of her locks brushing against the base of his neck and the way the skin on her torso felt soft and warm between the waist of her shorts and the high hem of her shirt.

And her lips, barely parted, drove him crazy when she ran her small, wet tongue over them so that they glistened when she turned to look at him.

So, really, Ichigo was not completely in his right mind when he took her chin in one hand and, ever so slightly, tilted her head to cover those pink lips with his own.

Rukia was delicious.

Ichigo pulled her in closer, deepening the kiss and letting his free hand wrap around her waist and up the small of her back. Rukia's hands pressed against his chest and her mouth slid open. Ichigo parted his lips and her tongue barely touched his own before he realized his mistake.

Rukia pushed harder away from him, hands curling into fists on his chest, and met his gaze with a look of shock.

His arms were still holding her against him, in an effort to protect her from the world and keep her there with him, but she broke away easily. His hands fell limply to his sides as she took a step back, pained confusion apparent on her elegant face, and then disappeared into the writhing mass.

_How many times am I going to screw this up?_

**-Rukia-**

She found Matsumoto on her way to the bathroom.

Fortunately, the strawberry blonde didn't ask questions until they had successfully chased out two people smoking and locked the bathroom door behind them.

"You look like a fright. What happened?"

Rukia sat down on the edge of the bath tub and covered her face with her hands.

"I-I don't know. He kissed me and I got scared." Rukia looked up at her friend helplessly and added, "so I came here."

Matsumoto smiled and sat down on the floor next to her friend. "Well, that's certainly not the conventional reaction. Did you want him to kiss you?"

_Didn't I?_

"I thought so." Rukia ran a hand through her hair. "It just happened so fast. At first, it was like a scene from a movie and then he kept touching me and everyone was watching and… I don't know."

Matsumoto nodded and responded quietly, "I don't think he meant to make you uncomfortable, Ru. I think it was an honest mistake."

Rukia looked at her friend timidly. "You think he's mad?"

Matsumoto took Rukia's hand in her own. "Of course not, silly! He actually seems like an ok guy and anyone with eyes can see he's nuts about you."

She giggled and poked Rukia in the side playfully, causing Rukia to crack a smile as well.

"I don't think I've ever seen you get this way over a boy. Don't get me wrong, you definitely have good taste, but I'm surprised at you. I didn't think you'd ever find a guy at all."

Rukia was slightly hurt by her friend's brutal honesty and she found herself responding more sharply than she had intended, "I've been busy. It's not easy to keep up a social life when you're expected to live up to the Kuchiki name."

Bitterness clouded her eyes as she continued, "especially with Byakuya being so bossy all the time. It's like I'm just another business partner to him sometimes. He never lets me do anything unless it's beneficial for the company; he barely even let me come out here."

Rukia trailed off into silence. She sighed and found Matsumoto's eyes watching her sadly.

"It's a lot of pressure on him. I'm sure he's just trying to do what he thinks is best for you," the girl said soothingly.

Rukia realized arguing further was pointless. Matsumoto was one of the few people that had known both Rukia and Byakuya before the accident and still maintained contact.

Being two years older than Rukia put Matsumoto directly between of the ages of the Kuchiki siblings, meaning that she had been friends with both almost equally. Of course, Byakuya had cut off most of his childhood ties when he became president of Kuchiki Inc. at age 12.

Though a Board of Advisors ran the company until Byakuya could legally accept his title, he was consumed by the business at a young age but Rukia knew Matsumoto had never given up the image of her brother as the carefree little boy that visited every summer and often played with the girls during the long hot days.

Rukia pushed against the sad memories. She and Byakuya rarely spoke of it and now the suppression was habit. She searched her mind for a different topic.

"You know, Ichigo asked me out earlier." Rukia said after a pause, causing the older girl to gasp excitedly.

"Really! What did you say?"

Rukia smiled despite herself. "I said yes. But I can't imagine he'll still want to after...you know."

Matsumoto rolled her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous. Just tell him you want to take things a little slower. I'm sure he'll understand."

Rukia giggled, most of her concerns put to rest by her old friend's unwavering support.

"You're probably right. Thanks." Rukia smiled sheepishly, aware now that she had overreacted.

Matsumoto smiled and pulled her into a hug. "Anytime, Ru. Now, let's get back out there before the sun rises and everyone leaves!"

Rukia allowed herself to be lead back out into the quickly dwindling crowd of people.

Much to her surprise, the two girls found Gin talking with Ichigo in the kitchen. Rukia immediately became worried but their conversation seemed civil enough. Gin even smirked slightly at something Ichigo said before grinning widely at his girlfriend's return.

"Sorry, boys. We had to freshen up." Matsumoto smiled brightly, giggling as Gin placed an arm around her shoulders and kissed her gently on top of her head.

Rukia risked a cautious glance at Ichigo but he didn't return her look.

"Shall we go find the rest of your friends? I believe most people are starting to leave now." Gin suggested, politely addressing the tension.

"Yeah, good idea." Ichigo turned to walk away and Rukia started after him.

"Thanks for the party! I'll see you before we leave on Saturday!" Rukia called over her shoulder once she realized that Matsumoto and Gin had become too preoccupied with each other to find anyone else.

When she turned to continue following Ichigo, she found him stopped in front of her.

"I'm sorry about earlier."

He truly did look sorry, his shoulders sagged and his eyes almost refused to meet hers.

Rukia instantly felt guilty for upsetting him. "Don't be. I just… needed some time to think."

Ichigo looked at her with a guarded expression. "Think about what?"

**-Ichigo- **

_Of course…_

Ichigo looked at the girl in front of him carefully.

_She's going to run away now. She's going to leave. Just like-_

"I want to take things a little slower."

_What?_

"What do you mean?" Ichigo forced down the hope that was rising inside him.

Rukia spoke slowly, blushing as she finished. "I just think we should wait and see what happens before we get too serious. I don't want to rush into anything."

Ichigo felt the heaviness evaporate from his chest and he exhaled slowly. She wasn't going to leave just as he was really falling for her.

She was still here, looking at him with eyes full of concern and kindness; eyes just like his mother's.

Ichigo felt a relieved, goofy grin tug at his mouth and he was unable to fully conceal it.

"That's just fine with me."

Rukia smiled back at him and shyly intertwined her delicate fingers with his.

"Ready to go home?"

Their hands fit together comfortably and Ichigo had to force himself to respond as they walked into the living room.

"Chad and Uryuu agreed to help clean up but we'll be there soon. I'm pretty sure the girls are waiting for you by the front door."

Rukia squeezed his hand slightly.

"Well, then, good night, Ichigo."

He squeezed back before she left him to catch up with Orihime and Tatsuki.

"Good night, Rukia."

* * *

Aww! I hope you enjoyed reading that as much as I enjoyed writing it :)

Reviews make my heart happy!


	15. Predate Jitters

So, this chapter isn't the most exciting or fluffy of the bunch but I still think it's pretty cute and it's quite informative ;)

The designs for Ichigo's and Rukia's outfits for their date belong to ~luculentquark on deviantArt. You should really go look at the picture: Pina Colada Sunrise. I'd post the link but FF won't let me :( Also, check out the whole gallery; the other IchiRuki pieces (and everything) are divine as well!

* * *

_So we take a step into the light  
And I fight the urge to fight for you  
'Cause I know your colors seem to show_

_And I think I could make them glow._

_I'm a little bit scared  
But I think I'm ready to prove  
That I'm the one for you._

**Only One - Sing It Loud**

* * *

**Chapter 15: Pre-date Jitters**

**-Rukia-**

Today was an important day; Rukia woke with a jolt.

She didn't hear anyone stirring on the second floor of the house and expected that everyone was still asleep, recuperating from the night before.

Still half-asleep herself, Rukia slowly crawled out of bed. She stretched and looked through her closet.

After a long moment, she picked out a pink dress with white lining. This was one of the few items that Rukia had been allowed to choose for herself and she loved it for the more modern yet simple design that her maids had always disapproved of.

She showered, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and washing the late night out of her hair. After running a comb through her hair, Rukia studied herself in the mirror as she brushed her teeth.

Her eyes widened at her reflection and her toothpaste-filled mouth dropped open.

_I have a date today._

Rukia quickly rinsed out her mouth and carefully studied her appearance in the mirror.

_I have a date with Ichigo._

Fighting the nervousness that swelled in her stomach, Rukia forced herself to calmly walk downstairs and into the kitchen for breakfast.

Fortunately, she had been mostly correct and, aside from Chad, everyone else seemed to be sleeping in.

_Does he ever sleep?_

"You're up early." Rukia smiled as the older boy turned to look at her. He was sitting on the deck in the same place as last time.

He nodded and then continued to look out to the waves crashing repeatedly on the shore.

Trying to be as small a disturbance as possible, Rukia only made tea instead of starting breakfast. Then, she pulled up another chair and joined Chad. He thanked her for the drink and they sat quietly for a few moments, listening to the ocean and sipping from their cups.

"We're out of bread."

Rukia looked at him questioningly.

"I was going to make toast but there's no more bread. I didn't want to wake anyone up."

"Oh. I didn't realize we were running low. I'll run out and get some now." Rukia was glad for the excuse to get out of the house. She stood up and collected the cups.

"I was going to walk. I just wanted to tell someone where I was so no one worries." Chad got up as she did and opened the door so she could walk through with her hands full.

"The store is miles away." Rukia protested as she put the cups in the sink. "It'd take you an hour at least."

Chad shrugged. "I don't mind. Everyone will probably be hungry by the time I get back."

Rukia found herself smiling at the absurdity of the idea. Though she had no doubt this giant of a teenager would walk all the way into town and back for a loaf of bread for his friends, Rukia suggested that they go together in her car instead.

"It'll be nice to have something to do and I'll leave a note in case someone wakes up."

Rukia ran back up to her room and tore a blank page from her sketch book. She scribbled a simple note in purple marker and left it on the kitchen counter.

_Went to store. Back soon with breakfast._

_-Rukia and Chad_

**-Ichigo-**

When Ichigo could no longer stand the sun coming through the window and shining directly on his face and pillow, he rolled over and put the pillow over his face.

When that didn't work, Ichigo reluctantly got out of bed and showered.

A frown crossed his face as he stared at his open suitcase on the floor. Ichigo had been on plenty of first dates before and the usual jeans and t-shirt had always sufficed but, this time, he found himself wanting to impress this girl that was always wearing brand name designer clothes.

He spied a dark green long-sleeve shirt and khaki colored fitted pants.

Ichigo wasn't sure what had possessed him to pack these items in the first place but now he was glad he had. He rolled the sleeves up around his muscled forearms and messed with his hair in the mirror for a few moments before deciding that it was a lost cause.

Girls always told him that his unruly hair was 'sexy' anyway.

Ichigo finally decided to head downstairs. He realized he was actually eager to see Rukia and what she thought of his unusually nice outfit.

Before descending the last step, Ichigo forced himself to take a deep breath and relax.

Being overly excited for a date was _not cool. _

Ichigo found the first floor empty except for Tatsuki and Orihime drinking from mugs and talking at the dining table.

"I'm surprised Rukia's not up yet." He tried to sound nonchalant but both girls laughed.

"They left a note in the kitchen!" Orihime chirped before Tatsuki teased, "Don't worry, lover boy. Your date didn't forget about you. "

Ichigo rolled his eyes. Of course, he'd never hear the end of it from his old friend.

He walked through the kitchen and read the note while pouring himself a cup of tea. It was obviously written by Rukia; her hurried handwriting looked remarkably similar to chicken scratch and he'd never seen Chad write in colored marker, much less decorate his writing with small animals and speech bubbles.

The girls were oddly quiet as he sat down.

"What?" He asked defensively.

Tatsuki grinned. "Nothing. It's just nice to see you chasing after a girl for once instead of the other way around."

Ichigo crossed his arms and scoffed. "I'm not _chasing after_ her."

"Whatever you say." The athletic girl shrugged innocently.

"Tatsuki has a date today." Orihime squeaked. She quickly put a hand over her mouth to cover her excited smile.

"'Hime!" Tatsuki pleaded exasperatedly.

"With who?" Ichigo looked at the dark-haired girl. He knew Tatsuki was more than able to take care of herself but his protective nature always took over when it came to his friends.

Tatsuki sighed. "Just a guy I met a Matsumoto's."

"The one with the crazy hair and tattoos?" Ichigo frowned.

"Jeez, stop acting like my dad. He's not a bad guy."

Orihime beamed. "He's really nice. Tatsuki introduced me and Uryuu last night. He lives in Tokyo but he came all the way out here for a vacation." Then, her voice lowered and added conspiratorially, "I think he's rich."

Tatsuki set her cup down forcefully on the table. "It doesn't matter either way. We're going out for dinner and that's all. He's going back to Tokyo on Saturday."

Orihime regarded her friend sadly. "I bet you could still keep in touch. You'll be near there for university anyway."

"We're just having fun. It's nothing serious." Tatsuki spoke casually, clearly ending the conversation.

"So, Ichigo." Orihime easily switched topics. "Are you excited for your date with Rukia? You look really nice."

"Thanks." Ichigo replied. Fortunately, slow footsteps were heard coming down the stairs and Ichigo avoided answering the redhead's question.

"Good morning." Uryuu greeted as he sat down with them at the table.

"There's no breakfast yet but Rukia and Chad should be back soon!" Orihime responded cheerfully.

"Oh," Uryuu commented, not fully awake yet. "All right."

"Would you like some tea? I was going to make more anyway." Orihime asked as she stood and headed towards the kitchen.

"That'd be great. Thanks."

Ichigo observed his friend's interactions carefully.

_There's no way…_

"Are we still going for a walk after breakfast?" Orihime asked as she handed a cup to the dark-haired boy.

"If you'd like." Uryuu adjusted his glasses, attempting to distract from the obvious pink tinge on his cheeks.

"Ok," Orihime smiled, lowering her gaze coyly when their eyes met.

Ichigo wondered how he had missed this significant change in their relationship.

_When did this happen?_ Ichigo raised an eyebrow questioningly at his friend.

Uryuu shrugged and rolled his eyes when Ichigo grinned.

"I expect you're looking forward to your date with Rukia this afternoon?" Uryuu asked pointedly.

Ichigo sighed. _Here we go again…_

**-Rukia- **

"So…" Rukia started. She and Chad were on their way back from the store; the back of the Jeep was filled with grocery bags.

"You've known Ichigo a while." Rukia paused to figure out exactly what she wanted to ask.

"We became friends in middle school," Chad offered.

Rukia smiled, grateful that he had started answer before she even formed her question. "Yeah? How did that happen?"

Chad waited a moment before speaking. "He had a lot of anger after his mother died. He got in fights a lot when people picked on him for his hair and usually they were the same guys that would pick on me for being tall. It made sense for us to start helping each other out."

Rukia noticed a quiet smile form on Chad's mouth. "Now we don't get into fights anymore and Ichigo isn't as angry."

Rukia saddened at the idea of a young Ichigo losing his mother and getting teased for being different. It clashed with the image she had of Ichigo now: confident, handsome, popular.

"But Ichigo was so popular in high school. What happened?"

"Ichigo never thought of himself as popular." Chad answered simply.

Rukia gripped the wheel tightly.

_Is he really going to make me ask this?_ _Maybe I shouldn't say anything…_

"But all the girls…" Rukia stopped herself before she could finish, totally embarrassed.

Chad smiled again. "They liked him because he didn't like them. He likes you."

Rukia blushed and the car was silent as she pulled into the parking area.

They collected the bags and walked up to the beach house.

"Thanks for… explaining things." Rukia stuttered.

Chad nodded and held the door as she walked inside to see four hungry teens waiting for them at the table.

Ichigo got up as they walked in, taking the bags from her and setting them on the counter.

"Do you need any help, Rukia? I can make my special omelets for everyone!" Orihime called from the dining table.

Ichigo caught her attention and quietly shook his head.

"That's ok! I'm just going to make some toast and eggs with rice." Rukia replied before looking back at Ichigo and smiling. Orihime had been famous in high school for her unusual taste in food but Rukia had never fully realized her creativity until this week.

"Good thinking," Ichigo commented in a low voice as he came up next to her to grab the plate she was filling with pieces of fresh toast.

Rukia reddened at his nearness and focused on loading the plate with butter and jams.

Once the toast was on the table, Rukia helped Chad mix the eggs and rice.

_Ichigo looks nice today. _

Chad brought out the golden mixture and breakfast was able to begin. Rukia sat down in the empty chair next to Ichigo, admiring the way the deep green in his shirt clashed with his bright hair.

She remembered what Chad had said and wondered how anyone could be so cruel as to make fun of a lonely child.

Ichigo looked at her curiously and she realized she had been staring.

"You look nice," she blurted out.

**-Ichigo-**

"You too." Ichigo tried to contain the smile pulling at his lips. Orihime had said the same thing earlier but it felt different coming from Rukia.

He noticed that her simple dress wasn't as elegant as what she usually wore but it suited her. The pink color matched the pink of her delicate lips exactly and gave more depth to the dark color of her eyes.

Ichigo was pleased that she approved.

"I'm sorry we took so long this morning." Rukia apologized to the group. "We ended up getting more than we expected."

"We forgive you!" Orihime smiled.

"Of course, it's fine." Uryuu added.

"We'll just call it an early lunch instead." Tatsuki shrugged.

Ichigo watched Rukia's lips curve into a gracious smile. Then, she looked back at him.

"I hope we won't be late."

Ichigo smiled at the genuine apprehension on her face.

"We won't be late. Want to leave when we're finished eating?" He suggested.

Excitement shone in her bright eyes and she nodded.

Uryuu and Orihime stood up and took their plates into the kitchen.

"We're going to go for a walk. Have fun on your date!" Orihime said before she and Uryuu headed to the deck and the beach.

Ichigo watched the two dark-haired girls exchange knowing looks with their red-haired friend and Orihime waved once more before Uryuu closed the door behind them.

"Well, I think I'm going to head to the gym. Want to come?" Tatsuki looked at Chad who nodded.

Everyone helped clean up the table and soon Ichigo and Rukia were left alone in the kitchen.

"So… You ready?" Ichigo asked, trying to come off as suave as possible.

Rukia grinned. "Just let me get my shoes."

She returned shortly and Ichigo took her hand in his as they walked out the door.

* * *

Oh my :) I already know what's going to happen and I'm still excited for the next few chapters!

Review? And don't forget to stop by luculentquark's gallery on deviantArt!


	16. All Sorts of Surprises!

FAVORITE. CHAPTER. EVER! :) Sorry this is on the late side. I hope you all will forgive me!

* * *

_This hearts still beating here;  
It's always on.  
Don't call it destiny;  
That's so defeating.  
_

_This electricity flows through us all._

**Conduit - Cartel**_  
_

* * *

**Chapter 16: All Sorts of Surprises!**

**-Rukia-**

The aquarium entrance was decorated brightly with colorful fish and various aquatic mammals and Rukia couldn't suppress a childish grin as she got her hand stamped with the Churaumi aquarium's logo.

Ichigo handed her the map and allowed her to lead the way. Walking through the different exhibits, Rukia realized that much of the aquarium was still the same as when she was a child.

They saw all the displays in the building, making small talk about the different animals and poking fun, casually brushing against each other as they walked. It was surprisingly natural, Rukia thought after a while, walking with Ichigo like this, so close, as if there were an invisible string connecting them.

Finally, at 2:30, they made their way over to the otter exhibit. It was a large structure outside the main building with long rows of plastic folding chairs overlooking the otters' pool and a stage on the far side.

Ichigo found them a pair of seats near the front center. Rukia sat down next to the tall boy and fiddled with the hem of her dress.

_Of all the times to get a case of the nerves!_

Now, without the displays and movement to hold their attention, Rukia realized that they would have to entertain each other until the show started. She snuck a glance at Ichigo's watch.

"Are you looking forward to the show?"

Ichigo's question pulled Rukia from her thoughts.

"Oh, yes! This show is new so I haven't seen it before but I've always loved otters. They're kind of like rabbits; they're so playful and cute." Rukia forced her mouth closed. She'd probably say something completely embarrassing if she didn't control herself.

**-Ichigo-**

Ichigo smiled at the petite girl's tirade.

"You like rabbits?" He asked, trying to keep the conversation going.

Rukia nodded. She spoke slowly, as if monitoring each word leaving her mouth, "I always wanted one for a pet but my brother never let me."

"Well, you should get one now. He can't tell you what to do when you move out." Ichigo suggested.

Rukia's bright eyes widened. "I could never do that. He'd be upset and I wouldn't be able to take it to university with me anyway."

Ichigo frowned at her attitude towards her brother but asked instead, "Where are you going for school?"

"University of Tokyo." A small smile formed on her lips and Ichigo could her the pride in her voice.

Ichigo smirked and considered biting his tongue before admitting, "I thought about going there."

Surprise registered on Rukia's face before she politely covered it. "Oh? I didn't realize you were so serious about your studies."

Her tone implied that she meant to end the conversation there but Ichigo continued, "Yeah. I want to be a doctor so I applied to the medical program. I didn't get all the scholarships I had hoped for though."

He shrugged and leaned back in his chair and watched her face as she took in the information.

_So I'm smarter than she thought._

Ichigo grinned. "You thought I was just a no-good delinquent."

Rukia shook her head furiously. "Of course not! I just… I thought-"

"Hey, it's fine." Ichigo said lightly. Thinking quickly, he moved his arm so that it rested on the back of her chair.

She paused before speaking again, blushing faintly. After a moment, she relaxed against him and said, "I didn't know you wanted to be a doctor."

"My dad's a doctor. I learned a lot from him and I'm not too bad at it." Ichigo looked down at the girl beside him. "I figure I'll intern somewhere for a year or two until I can afford to get through Tokyo and become a real doctor."

Rukia let her head fall on his shoulder and was quiet.

Ichigo wanted to ask what she was thinking about but before he could the show started. Rukia immediately sat up straight in eagerness, moving away from him, and Ichigo smiled good-naturedly.

_Well, it was nice while it lasted._

**-Rukia-**

The show had been extremely impressive. Rukia had gasped along with most of the audience as the otters jumped through hula-hoops and made noises and swam in formation with each other.

She resisted the urge to wave back as they waved good-bye at the end of the performance.

Ichigo took her hand into his as they left the exhibit and Rukia thought again about what he had said before the show.

_I was being stupid. It was silly to even get my hopes. Of course he won't be going to the same school as me. Even if he was, it's not like he'd want to keep going out… And it's not like Byakuya would let me have a boyfriend anyway._

Rukia tightened her grip on Ichigo's hand, suddenly overcome with relief that she had even had this one chance to go on a real date with a guy like Ichigo without her brother's interference.

"Why don't we stop in here?" Ichigo gently pulled her into the aquarium gift store, recapturing her attention.

Rukia looked around at the little trinkets and kids' toys lining the shelves.

_What could Ichigo possibly want from here?_

"Why?" Rukia watched Ichigo walk down an aisle of stuffed animals, obviously looking for something.

He returned with a Chappy the Rabbit plushie wearing a shirt that had the logo and two jumping otters on it.

Rukia's jaw dropped.

"It's cute, right?" Ichigo asked, trying to read her expression.

Rukia put a hand over her mouth and nodded. "Is it for me?" She asked quietly.

Ichigo smiled, pleased with her reaction. "You bet. Just let me pay for it first."

He handed her the toy as they left the store and Rukia held it tightly in her arms all the way to the car.

"I never would've pegged you for a secret Chappy fan." Ichigo teased.

"Chappy is adorable and wonderful. I wouldn't expect you to understand." Rukia said haughtily.

Then, their eyes met and they laughed.

**-Ichigo-**

In the car, Ichigo had an idea.

"You want to go to the beach when we get back?"

Rukia looked at him strangely. "You mean like, go swimming?"

"No, just walk around or something. I don't really want to play Twenty Questions with Tatsuki and Orihime when we get back about our date."

An amused smile pulled at her lips. "All right."

.

Rukia parked in the far end of the parking area and they walked quietly around the house. She sat her rabbit on the stairs of the deck, adjusting him so he would appear comfortable, before turning to face him.

"So what now?" She asked.

Ichigo searched his brain. He hadn't actually thought this far.

A house farther along the beach was having a party. They watched the large fire burn and people walked in and out of the house. Rukia was tapping her foot lightly in time with the music faded by distance.

"Why don't you like dancing?"

Ichigo sighed. He figured she would ask eventually.

"I don't dislike dancing. I just… My mother was the one who taught me how to dance and she taught me the waltz and all sorts of ballroom dances because those were her favorite. No one really does that around here but… I think they're kind of nice."

Ichigo ended quietly, realizing how lame he sounded.

Rukia surprised him by looking thoughtful and humming a slow waltz.

"Shall we?" She grinned and held her hand out to him.

Ichigo took her hand and placed his other hand around her waist. They had almost made a full circle when Ichigo asked incredulously, "Where did you learn to waltz?"

Rukia looked up at him, her deep eyes glinting spiritedly. "My brother does business all over Europe and Asia. I had to learn all sorts of foreign customs."

He lead her into a spin and she twirled gracefully before returning to him. Their eyes met and Ichigo pulled her closer, taking her face in one hand and letting his thumb trace along her jaw.

Rukia wrapped her arms around his neck and he could feel her fingers lightly playing with his hair, ticking his neck and sending shivers down his spine.

Ichigo tilted her head up and she pulled him down so that they were centimeters from each other.

They had stopped dancing.

"Ichigo! Rukia!" Orihime called from the door to the house, startling the pair. "Tatsuki just pulled in! Come meet Renji!"

Ichigo reluctantly let go of the petite girl in his arms.

"I guess we should go inside. I didn't realize they even knew we were out here." He said, chuckling quietly, trying to ease the awkwardness of the situation.

Rukia was pale.

She didn't say anything in response but waited for Ichigo so that they could walk back to the house together.

_What's up with her?_

**-Rukia-**

_No way! No way, no way, no, no, no…_

Rukia slowly entered into the living room where the rest of the group was waiting for Tatsuki and her date to come through the front door.

Orihime beamed and gestured for them to sit down on the couch. Ichigo took a seat but Rukia remained standing.

_Surely there are a million Renji's in Japan…_

"C'mon, Tatsuki, I really should be getting home. I don't want to impose or anything."

A deep voice could be heard just on the other side of the door and Rukia recognized it immediately.

The front door opened and both Tatsuki and her red haired date came through. Tatsuki had both his hands in hers, pulling him into the living room, with a large smile on her face.

"Ichigo! I didn't think you guys would be back so soon!" The athletic girl exclaimed, trying to gesture to the large man that appeared to be hiding behind her.

"I thought you said they'd be gone!" The man hissed in a quiet voice but Rukia still heard it.

She waited silently.

"Oh, hush." Tatsuki spoke sharply to her date. "Guys, this is Renji!"

She finally pulled him in front of her and the group all waved and greeted the newcomer.

Except for Rukia.

"Renji."

The tall, red-haired man locked eyes with the petite girl. He sucked in a deep breath before exhaling loudly.

"Hey, Ru. This… Just let me explain first, ok?"

* * *

Darn you, cliffhangers! :)

Anyways, any guesses as to how Rukia and Renji know each other? 1. There have been a few subtle hints throughout the story. One was even in this chapter. 2. They never dated. So don't guess that.

If you get it right you can have a prize or something.

Maybe.


	17. Reality Check

Oh, thank goodness! Now your maddening curiosity can finally be resolved :) Haha Congrats to Curio Cherry who got the closest to guessing Rukia and Renji's situation! A sexy IchiRuki oneshot will be posted in honor of this fabulous feat as a prize within a week or two. Keep an eye out for it!

* * *

_Sound the bugle now, play it just for me.  
As the seasons change, remember how I used to be.  
Now I can't go on, I can't even start.  
I've got nothing left._

_Just an empty heart._

**Sound the Bugle – Bryan Adams**

* * *

**Chapter 17: Reality Check**

**-Ichigo-**

The room was dead silent.

Tatsuki looked from her date to Rukia and back in confusion. "Wait. You guys know each other?"

Renji looked extremely uncomfortable and Ichigo noticed that Rukia was so tense she was almost shaking.

"Well, go ahead then. Explain yourself." Rukia had assumed a cold formality that Ichigo hadn't remembering seeing since they had all been in school.

_Do they have a thing or something?_

"C'mon, Ru. Can't we-"

"Don't call me that!" Rukia spat, interrupting the red head's plea.

Renji rolled his eyes and looked apologetically at Tatsuki. He whispered something into her ear before walking over to Rukia and trying to lead her away from the group.

Ichigo watched Tatsuki's face, expecting her to be upset, but instead she simply sat down, looking perplexed and concerned.

Then, he turned to see Renji take Rukia's arm in an attempt to escort her back out to the porch. Ichigo bristled in jealousy but Orihime put her hand on his before he could stand up.

She shook her head to tell him to stay put and then gestured to Tatsuki, still sitting patiently, as if to say they should follow her example.

_What the hell is going on?_

**-Rukia- **

"_Miss Kuchiki_, then" Renji spoke through gritted teeth as he pulled on her arm. "We need to talk."

He shut the sliding glass door behind them, letting her go for just a moment, and Rukia whirled around to face him.

She drew her hand back and let it fly, connecting hard with the side of his face.

"What are you doing here?" Their position on the deck was not visible from the living room and she spoke in a hushed voice so as not to alert her friends inside but the anger was still apparent.

Renji rubbed his cheek tenderly. "I understand you're upset but please, you have to listen. Byakuya will fire me if he finds out that you know I'm here."

Rukia scoffed. "Well, isn't that just a damn shame? What the hell are you doing dating my friends if you're supposed to keep a low profile? I can't imagine that was in your job description!"

"I'm sorry, ok? It was a mistake and I shouldn't have done it but I didn't know she was with you. I didn't find out until after that night you got into the fight with that guy."

_The night I got into a fight?_

"Oh…" Rukia clenched her fists in an attempt to control her temper. "You fucking idiot. You were there! You can't even do your damn job right! What would you have told my brother, huh? 'Oh, sorry! I was too busy screwing around to keep your sister from getting raped!'?"

Renji ran a hand through his long hair and sighed. "I was watching you the whole time, I swear. I just looked away for a second and before I knew it these guys were charging through the house and beating the shit out of the guy. I had no idea but I never would've let him take you anywhere, Ru, really."

He looked so guilty and pathetic that Rukia almost wanted to forgive him. "Why'd you keep seeing Tatsuki? Especially after you found out she was staying with me?"

A faint smile crossed Renji's face. "I don't know. She's just… She's really great. I've never met anyone like her before."

Rukia was surprised and touched by Renji's sentimentality but she hardened her heart and spoke truthfully, "You know, you won't ever see her again."

Renji met her gaze with the same candor, "And you won't see your new boyfriend either. I haven't told Byakuya yet because he never asked directly, but if you keep this up, I'm afraid I'll have to. He won't be pleased if he finds out."

Cold fear swelled in her stomach but she didn't allow it to show on her face. "He certainly won't be pleased when he finds about your neglect and scandalous escapades. Perhaps you should hand in your resignation letter now? You're no good as a personal assistant to him if you can't even handle this simple personal matter."

A wry chuckle escaped from the man's mouth in front of her and he stared at her for a long time before answering.

"I suppose you're right, Miss Kuchiki. President Kuchiki does not enjoy being informed of trivial things. I shall report this as a successful expedition and leave it at that."

Then, he bowed slightly and turned to head back inside, looking completely defeated.

"Wait." Rukia blurted out before she had decided what she wanted to say next.

Renji looked at her expectantly, but with none of the warmth and friendship they had shared over the years.

"You shouldn't break up with Tatsuki," she said finally, "I mean, her university isn't that far from Tokyo. Just say you met her in the city or something."

Rukia's eyes brimmed with tears but she looked away. "Besides, Byakuya wouldn't care if you were in a relationship. He'd probably even be happy for you."

She didn't make it obvious, but Renji heard the bitter comparison between her and himself in regards to her brother's expectations.

"That's very kind of you but our relationship was casual and temporary. We both understood that from the beginning." Renji looked sadly at the small girl. "I'm sorry, Rukia. Once you've finished school and taken your place in the company, I'm sure Byakuya will be less strict with you."

Rukia nodded slowly in response.

"Shall we return, Miss Kuchiki? I imagine your friends are quite concerned for you." Renji said gently, the teasing lilt in his voice apparent.

Rukia was relieved that his proper manner was now merely a joke between old friends rather than a threat between a master and servant. Still internally affected by their argument, Rukia allowed him to hold the door open for her as she walked back into the house, a smile pasted on her face.

"I'm sorry about that everyone. This was… a surprise to me as well." Rukia began, trying to find the right words. Renji remained in his place to the right and one step behind Rukia but when Tatsuki got up to stand next to him, he placed an arm around her waist as if the stance was habit.

_Am I… jealous of Renji?_

Rukia ignored the presence of the couple and focused on the people in front of her.

"Renji works for my brother, the president of Kuchiki Inc. My brother sent him here to keep an eye on me and… I suppose he didn't realize that Tatsuki and I knew each other before he decided to ask her out."

Shock registered on Orihime and Uryuu's face and Chad seemed thoughtful. Rukia didn't look at Ichigo.

"That being said, since we only have one day left here, Renji will not interfere with our vacation again except to escort me home when we leave." She turned in Tatsuki's direction but her eyes were lowered. "I appreciate you driving me here but since I have my own car now, I will be driving myself."

Tatsuki opened her mouth to say something but Renji stopped her. Rukia was thankful that she hadn't been interrupted.

"Renji will be leaving now. I'm going to bed. I'm sorry for the disruption. Good night."

Rukia looked at Renji, as if handing him control of the situation, and quickly made her exit. Ichigo jumped up as she passed but she didn't stop, fearing the discussion that would have to occur if she faced him.

Locking the door behind her, Rukia flopped onto her bed without pausing to remove her white and blue dress from that day. She squeezed her pillow tight against her chest and pressed her face into its softness.

Realizing that her Churaumi Aquarium Chappy was still sitting on the steps of the deck outside and that she wasn't able to face her friends, even to rescue him, Rukia cried quietly for the poor bunny's loneliness and its inability to do anything about it.

**-Ichigo-**

Rukia practically ran out of the room before he was able to talk to her.

"She'll be fine. Just give her a little time." Renji put a hand on his shoulder as he walked out of the house with Tatsuki as if he, a total stranger, could comfort him.

Ichigo shrugged his hand off. "Whatever."

Tatsuki gave him a scolding look but continued to lead Renji towards the front door. They closed the door behind themselves but Ichigo heard faint bits of their conversation.

"… stay here?" Tatsuki's voice asked.

"Rukia wouldn't like that…" Renji's low voice was clearer.

"Thank you… fun."

"I'm glad I met you."

"Well, I… maybe I'll see you around."

"Maybe."

There was a long pause and Ichigo tried not to imagine what the pair was doing on the other side of the door.

"Good night."

"Night."

Tatsuki entered the house again and brushed her hand over her eyes before realizing Ichigo was still at the bottom of the stairs, looking at her.

She sniffed and pulled her lips into her usual smirk. "What? You want something?"

Ichigo shook his head. He wanted to say that he was sorry that Renji was leaving, even though Ichigo didn't especially like him, because he knew that Tatsuki had never developed such serious feelings for a guy before.

But he knew she wouldn't want to hear it.

So instead he said good night and headed upstairs. He stretched out on his bed and pondered Rukia's actions, comparing her warmth towards him that day with her coldness just now.

Renji and Tatsuki were ending their relationship now. Would Rukia do the same to him when they left the beach?

He remembered the feeling of her small form in his arms as they danced and how her perfectly formed lips had almost met his just hours ago.

Then, he thought of the stuffed animal that she had forgotten outside.

Ichigo got up and quickly made his way downstairs. He stepped outside and found it sitting exactly where Rukia had left it.

_Poor guy…_

Ichigo felt a sudden companionship with the toy rabbit, both abandoned by the women they loved and trusted to always be with them.

He tucked it under his arm and brought it back inside. Chad was the only one still in the living room as he walked past and, even though he noticed the toy, he didn't say anything.

Ichigo set the rabbit on top of his suitcase in the corner of his room.

_Rukia can come get it in the morning. _He figured. _That is, if she still wants it._

Ichigo felt a hollowness in his chest as he realized the deeper meaning of his words and hoped with surprising ferocity that she ended up retrieving the stupid thing.

* * *

So, how did that compare to what you were expecting? :) I hope I rocked your socks!

...how does that saying go again?

Reviews? :)


	18. Mistakes and Corrections

****I'm sorry this is late! I uploaded it as soon as I finished so it's not very well edited. My excuse is that I hate this chapter.

* * *

**Chapter 18: Mistakes and Corrections**

**-Rukia-**

It was a late morning for Rukia Kuchiki. Her head hurt and her eyes were red from her tears the night before. She felt terrible but, after much debate, decided that she could not stay in bed all day under the covers with the lights turned off.

Ichigo's door was open and she peeked in as she walked down the hall. Churaumi Aquarium Chappy was sitting in the corner. Rukia was relieved that the poor stuffed animal hadn't been outside all night but a new sadness washed over her: Ichigo had taken his present back.

She slowly made her way downstairs and was greeted by four curious faces; Ichigo was noticeably absent. Empty plates were on the table in front of them and Rukia gathered that they had already eaten.

The thought of food made her stomach turn.

"So, as we will be leaving tomorrow morning, I think we should do most of our packing and cleaning up today, if that's all right with you." She spoke clearly and smiled but felt hollow inside.

_What on earth am I going to say to Ichigo?_

The other teens all nodded in agreement and Orihime got up to begin clearing away dishes from the table.

"What about one last morning on the beach before we start packing?" Tatsuki watched her friend's face, trying to phrase the question as a gentle suggestion.

Rukia nodded politely. "That's fine. You guys should do whatever you want before we leave."

Uryuu adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat. "You should join us," he said.

Orihime chimed in, "Ichigo went for a run so we need an extra person to play volleyball!"

Rukia almost laughed. Orihime's suggestion would actually make for uneven teams and Uryuu was being abnormally nice.

_Well… It couldn't hurt._

"Sure," she tried to smile sincerely, "just let me change."

.

.

The group walked out to the beach and set up their towels and the volleyball net. The group automatically took the same positions as the first time and Rukia looked hesitantly at Chad.

"Just stay in front and try to spike it when I pass to you," he said encouragingly. Then, he showed her how to hit the ball so it would go higher over the net, or in her case, just barely over the net.

Chad served first and the ball landed forcefully on the other side in front of Uryuu. Tatsuki groaned and the lanky boy shrugged, blushing when Orihime gave him a supportive hug.

Rukia grinned at her friend's antics. Maybe volleyball had been a good idea after all.

**-Ichigo-**

Ichigo's leg muscles burned in protest under him and beads of sweat slid down his back but he didn't stop. His watch told him that he had been running for 30 minutes and Ichigo decided he wasn't even halfway done with his run.

_Why didn't she come get that stupid rabbit? She was in love with the dumb thing yesterday…_

He had waited before going to breakfast, figuring she might stop by since she always got up so early in the morning.

But she never came.

And even after breakfast, he checked and the toy was still there, sitting on his suitcase and mocking him for being foolish enough for thinking that this girl really cared about him.

His foot slipped, sinking into the hot sand. Ichigo cursed and pushed himself to run harder.

_Damn it, Ichigo, quit feeling sorry for yourself and focus!_

He continued running down the beach, ignoring the pain shooting through his body and the depressing memories of the night before.

**-Rukia-**

Everyone stopped playing at the same moment. Rukia looked around and Chad informed her that they had lost.

Still completely unaware of how the scoring worked, Rukia just nodded and apologized for playing so poorly. Chad smiled kindly before looking past her and becoming thoughtful again.

Ichigo was running towards them.

Rukia's breath caught in her chest; Ichigo looked _good_.

His eyes were hard when he came close enough to look at her and Rukia pulled her attention away from his incredibly toned bare chest glistening with sweat.

"Well, then, I guess we should start packing up now." Tatsuki suggested, sensing the tension in the air. She pulled Orihime along with her and Uryuu followed, along with Chad.

Rukia tried to fall in behind them before Ichigo caught up but when he spoke to her she found she couldn't ignore him.

"So, are you going to get that dumb rabbit out of my room or should I give it to my sister?" His voice was harsh and Rukia looked at him in surprise.

"You mean… I can keep him?" Excitement filled her voice.

"Why the hell would I want it?" He snapped as they entered the house.

"I just thought-" Rukia paused. There, in the kitchen, was Orihime standing between Uryuu and the counter, the bridge of her nose nuzzled into his neck.

Uryuu blushed and stepped back but his arms stayed around the redhead. She smiled and giggled when she saw the pair staring.

"Sorry! We'll get out of your way." Orihime looked conspiratorially at the dark haired boy as they left the kitchen and head down the hall.

"Oh my…" Rukia smiled and put a hand to her mouth.

"They started dating yesterday." Ichigo shrugged. "But I guess you wouldn't know since you were too busy talking with Renji when they announced it."

His comment stung slightly and Rukia bristled.

"I can't help who I am, you know. You didn't seem to mind when you were able to go on your stupid vacation for free because I paid for everything."

Ichigo turned to face her, looking genuinely shocked. "What the- That's not even what I'm talking about!"

Rukia crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow as if to challenge him.

"No one asked you to do this! You could've kicked us out at any time but no, you wanted us to stay so you could pretend you had real friends for once in your life," Ichigo continued.

"I don't have to buy my friends! I have plenty of friends, you arrogant jerk!" Rukia spat, her eyes shining.

"I find that awfully hard to believe after you just said you can't have any real friends because you have to do what your brother tells you. Is it really that important, Rukia?" Ichigo threw his arms in the air in exasperation. "Is it that important to you to be your brother's puppet?"

"You have no idea what you're talking about; I never said that! And you're an ignorant fool if you think I mean nothing to Byakuya! He cares about me and I care about him and-"

"And that's why you're letting him run your life? Because if he really cared about you, he'd want you to have friends and… relationships with…. people." Ichigo finished awkwardly, waiting for Rukia to respond.

"This is what Byakuya wants me to do; this is what my parents wanted; this is what I want, Ichigo. Everything's already been decided for me; I'm going to Tokyo and that's it." Rukia swallowed hard to keep the tears from overflowing. "I can't do anything about it."

Ichigo breathed in deeply. "Fine. Go." He stalked past her and walked up the stairs.

Rukia's fists clenched at her sides. In another world, she might have thought it was funny the way he stomped around like a petulant child, naked except for his running shorts.

In another world, she might run after him, wrapping her arms around him and begging him to come with her in secret.

But instead, she slowly trudged up the same steps and into her room to zip up her full suitcase and do some last minute tidying to the room.

**-Ichigo-**

Ichigo smacked the stuffed animal off his suitcase and into the corner, before violently throwing his clothes inside.

He heard a car horn outside and pulled the curtains away to see Renji's bright hair through the windshield of a black Lexus. He watched Rukia leave the house, pulling a suitcase and carrying a few bags.

_She's leaving _now_?_

She waved, Ichigo assumed to four teenagers looking through the doorway waving back at her.

_She didn't even say anything…_

Ichigo saw her head towards her own car and he quickly exited his room, almost sliding down the stairs.

His friends had already closed the door and were dispersing when he got there.

"She's gone?" He asked dumbly.

Tatsuki and Orihime shared a look but Chad spoke first.

"She was upset." His tone was not accusatory, simply honest.

"You didn't have to be such a jerk about it. It's not really her fault," Tatsuki added.

"Maybe you should apologize, Ichigo. I think you really hurt Rukia's feelings." Orihime suggested tentatively.

"_I _hurt _her_ feelings?" Ichigo scoffed. "Whatever. She was going to cut ties with all of us at the end of this week anyway. It's not like it matters."

Uryuu looked at him disappointedly and sighed before walking away. Orihime followed him and Tatsuki just shrugged.

"She liked you too." Chad clapped him on the shoulder as he walked by, beginning to load things into the two remaining cars.

_What the hell is he talking about?_

Ichigo decided ignore his friend's comments and focused on carrying the heaviest bags and suitcases to the cars.

.

.

After everything was loaded and packed away, Ichigo remembered that his own suitcase was still upstairs in his room.

"Sorry, guys. I'll just be a second." He ran back into the house and upstairs.

The suitcase was just as he had left it. He closed it and noticed something out of the corner of his eye.

There was that goddamn rabbit lying on the floor in the back of the room.

Somewhere, in the depth of his heart, he found that he couldn't simply leave the toy abandoned and forgotten in the empty house so he grabbed it by the ears and carried it along with his suitcase back outside.

Neither of the boys said anything about the stuffed animal Ichigo had set in his lap and studied for long lengths during the trip and Ichigo was grateful.

He thought about the way the crazy midget's eyes lit up and voice sounded surprised when he offered it back, as if she hadn't expected him to return it.

_Maybe it was just a misunderstanding…_

_Maybe this whole thing was a mistake._

Ichigo looked out the window and then back at the dark, beady eyes of Chappy the rabbit.

He sighed. He would have to talk to Tatsuki about using her car tomorrow but he knew she wouldn't mind.

_Hell, she'll probably even want to drive._

Uryuu pushed an Eyeshine CD into the CD player and Ichigo closed his eyes to rest. Surprisingly, he felt much better now that he had made a decision.

Ichigo Kurosaki had a plan.

* * *

Yay for suspense! :) Haha I'm sorry this chapter was so bad-definitely my least favorite. I hope you all can forgive me.

I'd love to reach 200 reviews by the end of this story!


	19. Happy Endings

__Well, this only took forever. It's a tad fluffy so I hope that'll make up for the long wait :) Thank you for bearing with me!

* * *

_I would give all I have  
Just to be what you need  
Until the end.  
I'd give myself to be and to hold you close again._

I'm all tied up  
And I'm trying my best to get down.  
Come on, girl,  
Come around, come around.

**Come Around – Sing It Loud**

* * *

**Chapter 19: Happy Endings**

**-Ichigo-**

"And you're sure you want to do this? I've heard Byakuya Kuchiki isn't a very friendly person." Tatsuki looked at Ichigo from the driver's seat. They were currently parked across the street from the Kuchiki household.

He stared at the huge mansion, taking it all in. Then, he took a deep breath and determination flashed in his eyes. "I have to at least try."

Tatsuki grinned. "Well, all right, then."

They both got out of the car and walked up to the door. Ichigo found himself hesitating instead of ringing the doorbell but Tatsuki, being the impatient, no-nonsense type of person she was, rang it for him.

A tall man dressed in black suit pants and a white shirt with a loose tie hanging around the neck answered the door. He looked very surprised to see them.

"I want to talk to Byakuya Kuchiki." Ichigo tried to sound authoritative but the other man was too distracted by the girl standing next to him.

"Renji!" Tatsuki laughed as the redhead quickly pulled her into a hug.

"What're you doing here?" Renji asked, still holding Tatsuki firmly.

"We need you to help Ichigo convince Byakuya to let Rukia be with him," Tatsuki explained.

Renji glanced over Ichigo wearily before looking back at Tatsuki. He sighed. "I can get you in to talk to him but that's it. And if you do anything stupid and I lose my job, I will hunt you down."

Ichigo nodded to show that he understood. He had no intentions of screwing this incredibly important meeting up.

"Wait here a sec," Renji spoke softly to Tatsuki, kissing her on top of her head. Then, he gestured for Ichigo to enter the house. "Let's go."

Ichigo glanced at Tatsuki one last time to see her giving him a thumbs-up before the heavy door closed behind them.

_What did I just get myself into...?_

**-Rukia-**

"And the water was beautiful, Brother. I think you would have enjoyed it." Rukia paused politely to wait for Byakuya's response. They were having tea that morning to catch up on each other's travels.

Rukia tried to sip her tea quietly. This was a very important meeting; her brother rarely took time out of his busy schedule to spend time with her. She knew the conversation would end with a discussion of what he expected from her when she left for university but until then she was simply enjoying seeing her brother again after the long time apart.

"Excuse me, sir, you have a visitor." Renji opened the door to the tearoom and poked his head in.

Rukia frowned. _Can't those stupid businessmen leave my brother alone for one morning?_

"As you can see, Renji, I'm not in the mood to be disturbed. Please schedule an appointment with them for another time."

Rukia smiled at her brother's decision.

"I really think you should see them, sir." Renji insisted, making eye contact with Byakuya.

Byakuya set his cup down and rose gracefully. "Very well. I will return shortly, Rukia, and we will continue our discussion."

She sighed as her brother exited, disappointed until Renji coughed to get her attention. He smiled at her and winked before closing the door behind himself.

Rukia frowned. This visitor must be of importance to her as well but she couldn't think of anyone who would be stopping by now, before she had even entered university.

_Unless… Ichigo?_

**-Ichigo-**

"Can I help you?" A deep voice echoed through the room and Ichigo watched the elegant man walk to his desk and sit down. He had a commanding presence but Ichigo forced himself to appear calm and confident.

"My name is Ichigo Kurosaki. I went to Emerald Beach with Rukia and my friends last week." Ichigo was relieved that his voice didn't waver.

Byakuya's expression didn't change so Ichigo continued. "I'd like to ask Rukia to be my girlfriend when she moves to Tokyo."

"I'm afraid I can't allow my sister to get involved in a long-distance relationship. I'm sure you understand the difficulties involved with maintaining that status." His tone of voice sounded final but Ichigo spoke before he had a chance to stand.

"It wouldn't be long-distance. I'm moving to Tokyo as well."

Byakuya looked skeptical. Ichigo almost wanted to laugh; he had seen the exact same expression on Rukia's face multiple times during the past few days.

"I've decided to enroll in night classes at the University of Tokyo and intern at a medical practice during the day."

"Then you will be much too busy to also have any sort of relationship with my sister. She is preparing to take over a branch of the family company and will have no extra time to spend waiting on you."

They took a moment to stare at each other, neither one wanting to back down.

"I'm prepared to spend every second I'm not working with Rukia if that's what will make her happy."

"I don't believe you're the type of person that could ever make my sister happy. Now, please be on your way before I ask Renji to escort you out."

"She was happy when she was away from you!" Ichigo retorted, giving in to his anger.

Byakuya stood up. "You will never be welcome in this household again, nor will you seek out my sister in Tokyo. Leave. I'm done speaking with you."

"I'm not leaving until you realize that I care about Rukia and she cares about me. She's just too scared of you to admit it!"

"That is enough! I-"

"Brother, please!" Rukia suddenly appeared at the door. Apparently, she had heard their increasingly loud voices.

She walked to the center of the room so that she stood between Ichigo and her brother.

"I apologize for this boy's insolence. I was not aware he would be stopping by." Rukia looked over her shoulder at Ichigo, as if asking what on earth he was doing.

Byakuya sat back down and regained his composure. "You mean to tell me that you were not at all aware of his intentions?"

Rukia nodded. "Of course not."

"Tell him about this week, Rukia. I know you actually had fun with us and-"

"That's enough," Byakuya interrupted. "Rukia, did you have any plans to have a relationship with this boy?"

Rukia blushed and Ichigo watched her carefully.

Her gaze turned to the floor but she spoke clearly. "Our relationship was always temporary. I knew that I would have no contact with him or any of his friends after our trip. I'm sorry for the inconvenience, brother."

_So that's how she really feels…_

Ichigo clenched his fists but didn't say anything. The conversation was over. He had been wrong.

"Ichigo!"

He heard Rukia call after him but he didn't stop. He walked through the door and back down the long white hallway that Renji had lead him through earlier.

Ichigo came upon Renji and Tatsuki whispering just inside the front door. Apparently, Byakuya didn't allow anyone close to him have real relationships.

"I'm going to walk home. I'll see you later." He muttered to Tatsuki as he passed them and pushed through the door.

He knew Tatsuki understood and was grateful that she didn't try to stop him or follow him.

Ichigo kept his head down but refused to cry as he headed back to his own house without Rukia.

**-Rukia-**

She was stunned. _What just happened?_

Ichigo had practically run out of the room when she answered and she still had no idea what he was doing in the first place.

Renji entered the office sheepishly. "Yes, sir?"

"You're late."

"I… had something to attend to. My apologies."

Byakuya nodded slowly. "What is your opinion of this boy?"

Renji looked surprised and Rukia frowned.

"Well, he is… quite brave. And an upstanding youth from what I understand," Renji spoke cautiously.

"And this opinion isn't biased by your affection for his female associate?"

Renji blushed. "I'm not sure I understand what you're referring to."

"Very well. Why don't you have the rest of the day off? I'd like to have a conversation with Rukia." Byakuya gave his assistant a knowing look before waving him away.

"Yes, sir. Thank you." Renji grinned, understanding his boss completely, before exiting the room to return to Tatsuki.

"I'm disappointed in you, Rukia." Byakuya spoke quietly, returning his attention to her.

Rukia tried to avoid his gaze. "Nothing happened, really. It wasn't serious."

"Were you planning to deceive me while you were in university?"

Confusion crossed Rukia's face. "What do you mean?"

Byakuya frowned. "Don't lie to me. That boy informed me he was attending the University of Tokyo as well and planned to continue seeing you."

"Really?" Rukia gasped. "I… I didn't know." She felt so guilty. Ichigo's actions made complete sense now.

"Do you truly care for this boy?" Byakuya's voice was gentle and Rukia bit her lip.

"I don't want to upset you," she said quietly.

He stood up and gestured for Rukia to stand in front of him. She moved hesitantly.

"I expect you to continue to perform well in your academics but I suppose there are worse men to associate yourself with." Byakuya rested a large hand on the top of her head and pulled her into a tentative hug.

"I want you to be happy. You have my approval and I think mother and father would find him to be admirable as well. Go after him if that is what you wish."

Rukia wrapped her arms around Byakuya's waist tightly before awkwardly letting go and smiling up at him. "Thank you."

Filled with happiness at her brother's warm sentiments, Rukia quickly followed out on the same path that Ichigo had taken earlier.

After a few moments of running down the sidewalk, she saw him: tall and lanky with bright orange hair but with hunched shoulders and a heaviness in his gait.

"Ichigo!"

He stopped. Rukia watched the smile break out on his face as he turned to face her. Deciding to follow a giddy impulse, she jumped and he caught her around the waist.

Ichigo held her tightly and swung her around, nuzzling his face into her hair.

"What're you doing?" He asked when he finally put her down.

"Why didn't you tell me you decided to come to Tokyo?" Rukia asked, ignoring his question.

He chuckled and kissed her on the forehead. "It was going to be a surprise. I thought you'd be happy."

"I am happy, you fool! But you should've told me before this whole mess started!" Rukia punched him lightly in the chest to express her annoyance.

"I wanted to have Byakuya's permission so you would feel better about it." Ichigo looked so caring and earnest that Rukia felt her heart swell. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips against his.

He returned the kiss, pulling her against his chest and running a hand through her dark hair.

Finally, when they broke apart to catch their breath, Ichigo smiled. "Does this mean you've changed your mind?"

"Of course, idiot." Rukia said, laughing. She relished the feeling of Ichigo's strong arms around her and let her head rest against him, savoring the comfort.

**-Ichigo-**

It felt so perfect. She was in his arms, snuggling against him, talking to him with those perfect lips.

"You want to come to my place for dinner? My father's dying to meet you."

Rukia giggled and nodded and Ichigo didn't let on how literal his statement actually was.

Instead, he took her hand in his and they walked along the road together, laughing and teasing.

Her fingers tightened around his and he squeezed back, completely content knowing that he would no longer ever have to let go.

* * *

Aww! :) Just imagine them walking hand in hand off into the dreamy sunset...

Anyway, you guys are amazing! I got 20 reviews for the last chapter! Just 10 more and all my dreams will come true! haha Maybe not ALL of them but I will be super duper happy :) Thanks for all the amazing encouragement and support!


	20. Epilogue

Yay! The end of Summer Girl has finally arrived :)

* * *

_I stand waiting for you forever._

Just like the summers when we always knew,  
I would come back to you.

You're my afterglow.  
I can't let you go.

**Afterglow - Eyeshine**_  
_

* * *

**Chapter 20: Epilogue - 1 Year Later  
**

"That will be all for today. You are dismissed," the coach announced to the group of girls sitting on the field. Tatsuki grinned, happy to be done with summer practice for the day. She waved to a couple of her new friends but walked off to shower in the locker rooms alone.

University had been fun, she supposed, but nothing could beat seeing her all her old friends after the time apart. She walked out to the front of the gym and waited.

A sleek black sports car pulled up to the curb in front of her, screeching to a halt. Tatsuki rolled her eyes as the window rolled down to reveal her boyfriend arching his eyebrow suggestively.

"Miss me?" He teased.

"Quit making a scene. Everyone already thinks I'm crazy for dating you." She climbed into the car and kept her eager smile on the inside.

"I think you're crazy too." Renji smirked and kissed her hand. "But I love you."

The car sped off into the city where Renji would pick up some files and notes for work and Tatsuki would purchase some food items before they arrived at the predetermined meeting location.

.

The sound of dishes crashing in the kitchen caught Uryuu's attention.

"Why don't you just pack up whatever's ready and we can eat the extras later? We're already late, 'Hime."

"Just one more minute! I know they'll love it!" Orihime chimed brightly, making Uryuu smile despite himself.

Their apartment contained two cats, scattered old homework assignments, numerous embroidered pillows and stuffed animals, and now the smell of burnt baked goods filled the air. Sometimes sharing an apartment with his girlfriend on top of managing his schoolwork had been difficult this first year but, Uryuu knew as Orihime walked out of the kitchen with her glowing smile, he wouldn't have it any other way.

.

"Aren't you done yet?" Karin complained loudly.

"My shift is over at 5. We'll be on time if we leave at 5." Chad answered, hiding a smile.

The younger girl slouched down into the booth. Six empty mugs held the remains of a dark liquid littered the table.

Chad had become well known at the diner for his Mexican hot chocolate recipe. The small restaurant had hired him over the summer and he was content to work and take night classes in Karakura until he got his degree.

Of course, the petite girl sitting across the room impatiently checking her watch would have been reason enough to stay.

"It's 5:01!"

Chad chuckled. "All right. Let me get the grill from the back and we'll go."

.

The group congregated in the park near the Kurosaki residence. Tight embraces and excited greetings had been exchanged and they were now sitting on at a picnic table, catching up on all the missed time.

"How could I have predicted that they'd be late?" Uryuu gestured to the two empty spots at the end of the table.

Tatsuki smiled. "They're probably arguing over what to-"

"Ichigo! Rukia!" Orihime stood up before her friend could finish. She squeezed the pair in a giant bear hug.

"Hello everyone! It's so great so see you!" Rukia exclaimed before greeting each of her friends personally.

"She's the one that picked out the weird stuff, man." Ichigo shrugged and handed a bag to Chad. Chad clapped him on the shoulder and they exchanged a silent greeting.

"Don't worry about it." Chad put the bags of hamburgers and hot dogs and various other edibles in a cooler beside the grill in the back of his car.

.

They arrived at the cabin around dark. But that didn't stop them from unpacking, unloading all the food, and setting the table on the back porch just as they had done a year ago.

.

Once they had finished eating, they sat in the sand, sharing stories and reminiscing. Rukia leaned against Ichigo and let her head rest on his shoulder as she yawned. A barely noticeable smile crossed his face and casually wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close.

The group remained in this familiar scene there until late into the night. Friends that had been new last year were now as dear as old ones and they cherished this rare time that they all could spend together.

Karin had fallen asleep in Chad's lap, Tatsuki was helping Renji make a perfect s'more, and Orihime and Uryuu were looking up at the sky, searching for constellations. Rukia and Ichigo rose silently to clean up and soon after, their friends followed them back inside.

.

"Ichigo?"

"Yeah?"

"Today was a good day."

"Yeah."

The small girl pulled the sheets tighter around herself and snuggled into the warm body lying beside her.

"I love you." Pale moonlight shone in through the window, highlighting Rukia's slender curves and glossy hair.

Ichigo gently kissed her perfect lips and held her tightly. He knew this week would be just as amazing as before.

"I love you too."

* * *

So cute! :) I know it was short; I just wanted to give you an idea of what happened to the group after they left. Thank you so much for reading! I really hope you all enjoyed it and to those who reviewed: I am so grateful to each and every one of you. You really made this worthwhile for me :)

Thanks again!


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